[00:00:07]
UH, GOOD MORNING, COLLEAGUES, DISTRICT, STAFF, UH, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HERE TODAY WATCHING, UM, THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, EITHER IN PERSON OR REMOTE REMOTELY.
[I. Welcome and Introductions]
I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, UH, FOR TUESDAY, MAY 22ND, MAY 20TH, 2025.THIS IS A FINAL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING, UH, FOR THIS ACADEMIC YEAR, 24 25.
UM, SO IT COMES AT IMPOR, UH, AT AN IMPORTANT TIME FOR OUR DISTRICT.
UM, REASONS FOR THAT IS, UH, BUDGET WISE, THE GOVERNOR'S REVISED BUDGET WAS, UH, WAS FINALLY RELEASED.
UH, WE CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE AN UNPREDICTABLE FEDERAL ENVIRONMENT AS WELL, ACASA DISTRICT.
WE ARE ASKING TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THESE DEVELOPMENTS WILL HAVE AN EFFECT ON OUR SCHOOLS THIS YEAR AND IN THE YEARS TO COME.
UM, IT'S CLEAR THAT WE MUST BE THOUGHTFUL, STRATEGIC, AND EQUITY DRIVEN AS WE MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT HOW BEST TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE'LL BE FOCUSING ON OUR DISCUSSION ON TWO PRESENTATIONS TODAY THAT SPEAK TO THE DISTRICT'S PRIORITIES, INVESTING IN MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS, AND UNDERSTANDING THE BUDGET OUTLOOK SO WE CAN PLAN RESPONSIBLY FOR OUR STUDENTS' NEEDS AND THEIR FUTURE.
[II. Labor Partners]
BUT BEFORE WE DIVE INTO THESE CONVERSATIONS, WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE REMARKS FROM OUR LABOR PARTNERS, THEIR ON THE GROUND EXPERIENCE AND ADVOCACY, CONTINUE TO SHAPE OUR SHARED VISION FOR SCHOOLS, UH, THAT ARE INCLUSIVE, SUPPORTIVE, AND MO COMMUNITY CENTERED.FOLLOWING OUR LABOR PARTNERS WILL, UH, HEAR SOME, A PRESENTATION FROM LYDIA COSTA STEVENS ON THE FORTHCOMING 2025 MOTEL MULTICULTURAL MASTER PLAN, AND FROM DR. ANDREW THOMAS ON THE IMPLICATIONS AND THE GOVERNORS MAY REVISE.
SO WE'LL BEGIN WITH OUR LABOR PARTNERS.
SO WE HAVE HERE I SEE UTLA COMING UP TO THE PODIUM.
UM, MY NAME IS ALEX OROZCO, UTLA, SECONDARY VICE PRESIDENT.
UH, BEFORE I HAND OVER, UH, OUR REPORT TO OUR FIRE SURVIVORS, VICTIMS OF THE EATON FIRE, UH, I'D LIKE TO JUST MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
UM, I HEAR THAT TODAY WILL BE A BUDGET DISCUSSION, ROBUST, COMPREHENSIVE, BUT PLEASE NOTE THAT WE REJECT ANY TALKS OF AUSTERITY MEASURES, ANY TALKS OF CUTBACKS.
WE KNOW, AND WE STAND FIRM WITH OUR ASSERTION THAT THE DISTRICT DOES HAVE OVER $6 BILLION IN RESERVE.
AND WE'LL TAKE THAT TO OUR MEMBERS, AS WE KNOW IS ACCURATE.
UM, ALSO, I HEARD JUST THIS MORNING THAT AT ONE OF OUR ICONIC HIGH SCHOOLS HERE IN EAST LA GARFIELD, ANY GARFIELD ALUM, HEY, ALL RIGHT.
UM, THEY ARE, UH, AT RISK OF LOSING THEIR AZTECA DANCE PROGRAM.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE, UH, CORRECT.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT, IT'S, IT'S JUST CANNOT HAPPEN.
UH, THEY ALREADY LOST THEIR BAFO CORTICO A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT THE COMMUNITY STANDS BEHIND SUPPORTS AND THE STUDENTS LOOK FORWARD TO AS IT HAS BECOME A CULTURAL, UH, AND ICONIC, UH, PROGRAM OF THAT, UH, COMMUNITY.
SO WE ASK THE BOARD TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS DONE TO PROTECT THAT AZTECA DANCE PROGRAM AT GARFIELD HIGH SCHOOL.
AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA PASS TO MIKE TO OUR EATON FIRE SURVIVORS.
GOOD MORNING, SUPERINTENDENT CARVALLO SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.
I HAVE 29 YEARS OF SERVICE AS A PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKER WITH SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH.
FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, I'VE BEEN ASSIGNED TO MONTE VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND REGION EAST.
MY HOME OF 19 YEARS WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY THE JANUARY 7TH IN CANYON WILDFIRES IN ALTADENA.
AND IF YOU'VE NEVER VISITED ALTADENA NINE, UH, ALTADENA IS ABOUT 19 OR 15 MILES NORTHEAST.
FROM HERE, I'M HERE TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE AND SAY THANK YOU TO L-A-U-S-D AND TO OUR UNIONS FOR ITS OUTREACH AND EFFORTS TO SUPPORT THOSE EMPLOYEES AND MEMBERS WHO WERE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THE WILDFIRES WITH AID AND ASSISTANCE, SPECIFICALLY L-A-U-S-D EDUCATION FOUNDATION, EMPLOYEE FUND RELEASE FUND, AND THE UTLA MUTUAL AID DISASTER RELIEF AID.
IN ADDITION, I HAVE A REQUEST.
20 MISCELLANEOUS NATURAL DISASTER DAYS WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO EMPLOYEES WHOSE HOMES WERE DESTROYED.
[00:05:01]
YOU TO CONTINUE TO STAND BY US WITH MORE MS AND D DAYS FOR THE NEXT YEAR TO HELP US REBUILD OUR HOMES AND LIVES WITHOUT USING OUR ILLNESS TIME.YOU SHOULD KNOW, AT MY SCHOOL SITE, FOUR OF US LOST HOMES.
TWO STAFF MEMBERS WERE DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOMES AND ONE LOST THEIR RENTAL.
THIS SCHOOL BOARD, WHICH GOVERNS THE SECOND LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT AND NATION, HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE AND SERVE AS A MODEL TO OTHER DISTRICTS THAT IN A CRISIS AND UNPRECEDENTED TIMES, L-A-U-S-D IS NOT ONLY COMMITTED TO STUDENTS, BUT TO ITS EMPLOYEES RECOVERY DUR FOLLOWING A DISASTER.
SO THOSE 20 DAYS HELPED IN THIS IN INITIAL JOURNEY WITH OUR JOURNEY WITH OUR RECOVERY, WE ARE HERE TO ASK YOU TO CONTINUE TO OFFER MISCELLANEOUS NATURAL DISASTER TIME FOR THE NEXT, UM, FOR, FOR NEXT YEAR FOR THE EMPLOYEES PLANNING TO REBUILD THEIR HOMES.
MOST OF US HERE ARE THE PRIMARY PROVIDERS FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
I AM A PROUD PRODUCT OF L-A-U-S-D AND HAVE DEDICATED 33 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE DISTRICT, 26 OF THOSE YEARS AS A TEACHER AT FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL MAGNET.
TODAY, I'M HERE ADVOCATING FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND TIME FROM THE DISTRICT.
LIKE MANY OTHERS, A MULTI-GENERATION HOUSEHOLD WAS TRAGICALLY LOST IN THE EDEN FIRE.
THIS HOME REPRESENTED NOT JUST SHELTER, BUT THE HEART OF OUR FAMILY FOR 16 YEARS.
IN THE MIDST OF THIS HARDSHIP, MY SISTER IS FIGHTING LEUKEMIA, ADDING ANOTHER LAYER OF EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL STRAIN TO OUR LIVES.
DESPITE THESE PERSONAL CHALLENGES, I REMAIN COMMITTED TO MY STUDENTS AND TO L-A-U-S-D, I'M ASKING FOR COMPASSION AND SUPPORT DURING THIS TIME, MORE DAYS TO NAVIGATE AND RECOVER FROM THESE ONGOING LIFE CHANGING EVENTS.
THIS IS ONLY ONE OF MANY STORIES FROM MULTI DINNER RESIDENTS.
AS AN EXAMPLE, AS WE WERE WAITING OUTSIDE, I JUST GOT A CALL FROM, UH, THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS FOR THEM TO REMOVE THE DEBRIS FROM A HOUSE.
SO THIS IS OUR DAY TO DATE SURVIVOR.
MY NAME IS LETICIA VEDO, AND I AM ALSO AN INDIAN FIRE SURVIVOR.
I TOO LOST MY HOME AND GRIEVING BEING DISPLACED FROM TNA COMMUNITY THAT WE BELONG TO FOR YEARS.
I HAVE BEEN A PSA COUNSELOR FOR THE PAST 11 YEARS, AND I AM CURRENTLY ASSIGNED TO THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND REGION EAST IN EAGLE ROCK, HIGHLAND PARK, AND LINCOLN HEIGHTS.
I AM HERE THANKING YOU FOR L-A-U-S-D, IMMEDIATE SUPPORT, INCLUDING THE MSND TIME BECAUSE IT HELPED US FOCUS ON PRIORITIES AT HAND WITH HAVING TO, WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT THE LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS TO TAKING TIME OFF.
I WANNA SHARE A GLIMPSE OF WHAT OUR DAY-TO-DAY HAS BEEN AFTER JANUARY 7TH.
IMAGINE YOU'RE DRIVING HOME AND YOU REALIZE YOU GOT OFF ON ALTADENA INSTEAD OF GLENDALE.
THEN YOU CONTINUE DRIVING YOUR OLD NEIGHBORHOOD AND NOTHING SEEMS FAMILIAR.
EVERY HOUSE AND MOST TREES FOR BLOCKS AROUND YOUR HOME ARE GONE.
AND WHEN YOU'RE FEELING LIKE YOU'VE REACHED SOME LEVEL OF NORMALCY, BUT THEN SOMETHING REMINDS YOU THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THAT TOO, BUT YOUR BRAIN STILL THINKS YOU DO.
YOUR AUNT'S KNITTED COASTERS, YOUR BABY'S DRAWINGS THAT YOU KEPT, YOUR FAVORITE SWEATER THAT YOU TRY NOT TO USE, SO AT LEAST IT WOULD LAST LONGER.
AND EVERY HOLIDAY DECORATIONS ARE ALL GONE.
THEN THE DREAD THAT YOU HAVE TO START FROM ZERO AND AT THE SAME TIME, WATCHING EVERY EXPENSE TO FIGURE OUT IF YOU CAN BUY OR YOU COULD LIVE WITHOUT, BECAUSE YOU'RE ALWAYS WONDERING IF YOU COULD REBUILD.
AND ON TOP OF THIS, WONDERING ABOUT YOUR LONG-TERM ASPECTS AND TAKING TIME OFF WORK.
YOU MIGHT WONDER HOW WE MANAGED SECURING HOUSING, MANAGING GRIEF, WORK, RESPONSIBILITIES, FAMILY.
IT'S THE LOVE AND SUPPORT THAT WE RECEIVE FROM FAMILY AND COMMUNITY,
[00:10:01]
INCLUDING LA USD'S COMMUNITY THAT HELPED US MANAGE THE ROLLERCOASTER OF GRIEF WE EXPERIENCED ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS AT TIME OF CRISIS.SUPPORT IS HEAP ON SURVIVORS AT THE BEGINNING, BUT THEN THE NI NEXT CRISIS COMES AND WE'RE FORGOTTEN.
THE REBUILD PROCESS IS PROJECTED TO TAKE YEARS.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT MORE THAN EVER.
I AM A THE TSPN MAGNET COORDINATOR AT MONTE VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UM, THIS IS MY 27TH YEAR AS AN EDUCATOR IN THE DISTRICT.
I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY AS AN EATON FIRE SURVIVOR.
MY HOME WAS LOST, MY 20 YEAR HOME THE MORNING OF JANUARY 8TH, AND IT'S THE ONLY HOME MY TWO YOUNG ADULT CHILDREN HAVE EVER KNOWN.
MY FAMILY AND MY COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN DEVASTATED BY THIS UNPRECEDENTED TRAGEDY.
OUR LIVES WERE SUDDENLY AND IRREVOCABLY UPENDED THAT DAY.
AS RACHEL MENTIONED, THE STAFF AT OUR SMALL CAMPUS WAS HIT PARTICULARLY HARD FOR EACH FIRE VICTIM.
THE IMPACTS OF THE FIRE AND OUR PASTOR RECOVERY ARE DIFFERENT, AS ARE THE MANY JOBS WE WORK IN L-A-U-S-D.
WE ARE CAREER EDUCATORS WHO HAVE COMMITTED OURSELVES TO THE SUCCESS OF STUDENTS AT EACH OF OUR SCHOOLS.
THIS HAS BEEN A LONG AND ARDUOUS FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS, AND IT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING OF OUR RECOVERY AND REBUILDING.
I'M HERE TODAY WITH MY COLLEAGUES TO ASK THAT IN ADDITION TO ANOTHER ALLOCATION OF NATURAL DISASTER DAYS, THE BOARD AGREES TO A PROTECTED LEAVE CATEGORY FOR THE ABSENCES WE WILL NEED TO TAKE AS WE REBUILD.
MOST OF US HAVE ACCRUED ILLNESS TIME THAT WE CAN USE.
STILL, THE CONTRACTUAL SIX DAYS IN THE PERSONAL NECESSITY CATEGORY LIKELY WON'T BE ENOUGH EACH YEAR AS WE FIGHT FOR FULL INSURANCE PAYOUTS, DECIDE ON REBUILDING PLANS AND WORK WITH CONTRACTORS TO REBUILD ALL WHILE MANAGING OUR WORK AND PERSONAL LIVES.
FMLA EXISTS FOR MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
WE WILL BE ABSENT FOR OTHER REBUILDING TASKS, TASKS THAT DON'T FIT THIS CATEGORY.
I'VE BEEN A TEACHER AT BUSHEL WAY FOR 31 YEARS.
I AM HERE NOT AS A WILD, AS A WILDFIRE SURVIVOR, BUT AS A COLLEAGUE OF FRIEND AND AN ADVOCATE FOR ALL LUSD EMPLOYEES IMPACTED BY THIS UNPRECEDENTED NATURAL DISASTER ON JANUARY THE SEVENTH.
AS A, AS A DISTRICT, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE PREPARED AND READY AND HAVE SYSTEMS IN PLACE IN CASE A NATURAL DISASTER HITS.
MY UTILITY COLLEAGUES, ALEX OROZCO AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR AND VISIT ALTADENA.
ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS, MY COLLEAGUE RACHEL BADILLO INVITED US TO VISIT AND SEE FOR OURSELVES THE SCOPE OF DEVASTATION THAT HAS CHANGED THEIR LIVES FOREVER.
I WAS IMPACTED WITH MY VISIT TO ALTADENA BECAUSE UNLESS YOU VISIT THESE SITES, YOU MAY OVERLOOK OR UNDERESTIMATE THE GRAVITY OF IT.
I URGE YOU TO VISIT THE AREA, AND MY COLLEAGUES HERE PRESENT WILL BE GLAD TO GIVE YOU A TOUR.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND STAND BY OUR EMPLOYEES WHO LOST OR GOT THEIR, UM, HOMES DAMAGED, WHETHER IT BE PROVIDING EMOTIONAL WELLNESS, CENTRAL, UM, CENTERS, RESOURCES, MUTUAL AID, WHERE TEACHERS CAN DONATE A DAY OFF OR PROVIDING MISCELLANEOUS NATURAL DISASTER TIME WITHOUT USING THEIR PERSONAL NECESSITY DAYS.
TODAY IS FOR THE SURVI FIRE SURVIVALS.
TOMORROW, IT MIGHT BE ME OR FOR US HERE, SITTING IN THIS ROOM, LOSING A HOME RENTAL OR, UM, BEING DISPLACED DUE TO A DISASTER.
THE MESSAGE I HAVE HEARD FROM MY COLLEAGUES WHOSE HOMES WERE DAMAGED OR BURNED IS FOR THE DISTRICT TO NOT FORGET THEM.
MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES TOOK WITH THEM A FEW SCHOOL SHIRTS WITH THEIR LAPTOPS BECAUSE THEY JUST NATURALLY, THEY NEVER FORGET ABOUT THEIR JOB AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR, WITH THEIR CHILDREN'S STUDENTS.
REBUILDING CAN TAKE FROM AT LEAST THREE TO FIVE YEARS, AND WE NEED TO EXTEND OUR HAND AND NOT TURN OUR HEAD AROUND AND PRETEND THAT THE EATING FIRES NEVER HAPPENED BECAUSE THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF LUSD EMPLOYEES IMPACTED.
PLEASE DON'T FORGET OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND THEY NEED US NOW MORE THAN EVER.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR COMING HERE AND SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES.
I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE, UM, EXPERIENCING IS HARD, TRAUMATIC, AND AS YOU MENTIONED, THE RECOVERY WILL BE LONG TERM AND KNOW THAT, AND I SAY THIS, I KNOW, UM, ON BEHALF OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT YOU WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING AND SHARING.
UM, UH, ANY OTHER LABOR PARTNERS THAT WANNA COME AND SHARE? I SEE SOMEBODY COMING.
[III.1. Preview of 2025 Multilingual Multicultural Master Plan: Beyond Limits]
WELL, NOW, UH, WE TURN TO OUR FIRST PRESENTATION BY MS. LYDIA COSTA STEVENS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MULTICULTURAL UH, EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.THIS PRESENTATION WILL PREVIEW THE 2025 MULTILINGUAL MULTICULTURAL MASTER PLAN BEYOND LIMITS, WHICH OUTLINES A VISION FOR ADVANCING LANGUAGE EQUITY AND HONORING
[00:15:01]
THE CULTURE AND LINGUISTIC ASSETS OF OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.MS. ACOA STEVENS, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE, AND GOOD MORNING.
IS THIS HOW I ADVANCE? PERFECT.
MAKE SURE I HIT THE RIGHT BUTTON.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE.
WE ARE TRULY EXCITED TO PREVIEW AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH OUR 2025 MULTILINGUAL MULTICULTURAL MASTER PLAN.
I APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO IS ALSO JOINING US IN THE AUDIENCE AND WHO IS WATCHING PUBLICLY AS WELL.
THIS MASTER PLAN WILL BE A DISTRICT WIDE BLUEPRINT FOR EVERYTHING WE DO WITH MULTILINGUAL AND MULTICULTURAL STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND SUCCESS IN THE DIVERSITY OF OUR WORKFORCE AS WELL, OUR EDUCATORS.
I'D LIKE TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, AND I'D LIKE TO GIVE US ALL A MOMENT, APPROXIMATELY 20, 30 SECONDS IF YOU COULD PLEASE READ THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO YOURSELF.
DEAR BOARD MEMBERS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALSO PASSING THIS LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
IT IS, UM, A BEAUTIFUL THING FOR OUR DISTRICT.
OUR NEXT SLIDE, AS WE LOOK AT OUR 2025 MASTER PLAN, AND WE CONSIDER THE VISION AND THE MISSION AROUND THIS, I WILL BE READING THIS SLIDE BECAUSE I THINK THIS WORK IS SO IMPORTANT.
AND AS WE THINK ABOUT WHO OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FAMILIES ARE, WHO WE SERVE, THERE IS NEVER A SINGLE STORY.
WE BELIEVE THAT TEACHING AND LEARNING ARE TRANSFORMATIONAL EXPERIENCES.
MMED ENVISIONS A SOCIETY THAT COMMITS TO SEEING AND HONORING THE INTEGRITY AND HUMANITY AND DREAMS OF ALL AND L-A-U-S-D.
OUR MISSION IS TO CREATE TRANSFORMATIVE RELATIONSHIPS, EXPERIENCES, AND SPACES WITH YOUTH, FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND EDUCATIONAL LEADERS.
AS THEY INFORM SHAPE AND GUIDE OUR WORK.
WE WILL ELIMINATE OPPORTUNITY GAPS FOR MULTILINGUAL MULTICULTURAL LEARNERS AND PROVIDE A RIGOROUS AND WELL-ROUNDED HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION.
THIS WAS DEVELOPED WITH EVERYONE THAT WE MET WITH IN OUR COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF THE FEEDBACK I, AS WE CONSIDER LIVING OUR MASTER PLAN, I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE AS A DISTRICT AND WHAT OUR FAMILIES AND OUR EDUCATORS ARE SAYING.
THEY WILL CONTINUE TO WANT MORE OF THE SUMMER PROGRAM, INTERNATIONAL SUMMER PROGRAM, THE INTERNATIONAL NEW COMER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, THE SUMMER COACH INSTITUTE.
IN ALL THESE INTERSECTIONAL SPACES OF ALL OF THE STUDENTS WE SERVE, WE SERVE OUR VERY STRONG LA ZOO PARTNERSHIP WITH MIGRANT ED, AND OF COURSE, OUR MASTER PLAN INSTRUCTIONAL INSTITUTE THAT HAS APPROXIMATELY 800 PARTICIPANTS OVER FIVE DAYS EVERY JUNE, WHICH ARE THE EL DESIGNEES AND ALSO OUR COACHES.
NOW, AS WE CONSIDER THE WRITING OF THIS MASTER PLAN LED BY THE RESOLUTION WORK, ESSO AND EXO, ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO CALL OUT IS THE THEMES THAT WERE COMING OUT REGARDING STUDENT VOICE AND IDENTITY, EDUCATOR CAPACITY, IDENTIFICATION, PLACEMENT AND PROGRESS, EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION.
I THINK, SORRY, I JUMPED AHEAD.
WE LISTENED TO OVER 13,000 VOICES IN ZOOMS THROUGH THOUGHT EXCHANGE MEETINGS WITH OUR UNION PARTNERS IN A VERY COLLABORATIVE AND WONDERFUL SPACE.
WE RECEIVED TONS OF INPUT, THIS MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT OF LISTENING, LEARNING, ASSESSING, AND ACTING.
THIS IS WHO THEY WERE, OUR COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND WHO PARTICIPATED.
FAMILIES, ALL A-U-T-L-A-C-S-S-A, TEAMSTERS, BOARD MEMBERS, ADMINISTRATORS, YOUR COMMUNITIES.
YOU INVITED US TO COME AND PRESENT TO THEM AS WELL.
[00:20:01]
AND OF COURSE, IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, EVERY PD, WE'RE ASKING ALL OF OUR TEACHERS, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM THIS MASTER PLAN AND THE DISTRICT-WIDE THOUGHT EXCHANGE.SO GRAND TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 131 SESSIONS AND OVER 13,000 PARTICIPANTS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GRACE, THOSE THEMES.
STUDENT VOICE AND IDENTITY, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, EDUCATOR CAPACITY, IDENTIFICATION AND PLACEMENT.
EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION, STUDENT VOICE AND IDENTITY, CRITICAL TO KIDDOS BELONGING.
WHERE DO WE BELONG? HOW DO WE BELONG? CAN WE HAVE INFINITY GROUPS? BUT CAN WE ALSO BE PART OF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY THAT IN AND OUT SPACE, RIGHT? INTERNAL, EXTERNAL FROM FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, MULTILINGUAL AWARDS, KEEP DOING IT.
WE WANT OUR CHILDREN NOT JUST TO BE BILINGUAL, WE WANT OUR DISORDERS TO BE TRILINGUAL, QUADRI, LINGUAL, AND LIKE THE SUPERINTENDENT, I THINK IT'S FIVE LANGUAGES.
OUR EDUCATORS ARE ASKING US, KEEP PUTTING OUT THE PD THAT YOU CREATE IN MMED AND WITH THE REGIONS, WE GET SO MUCH OF IT.
THE PLANNING TOOLS, HOW TO PUT IT TOGETHER, IS TO MEET THE DIFFERENTIATION AND NEEDS OF EVERYONE WE SERVE IN OUR CLASSROOM.
BECAUSE KIDS ARE NOT IN A BOX.
THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN THEIR LIFE.
IN ADDITION, WE ALSO HEARD A LOT ABOUT IDENTIFICATION.
AND AS IF YOU RECALL, WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR OUR AMERICAN INDIAN AND INDIGENOUS STUDENTS.
THAT CAMPAIGN CONTINUING CONTINUE THAT IDENTITY PIECE AND EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION ALL ABOUT CULTURALLY, LINGUISTICALLY, AND RESPONSIVE PEDAGOGY IN HOW DO WE PUT ALL OF THESE TOOLS TOGETHER TO WORK WITH ALL OUR DISTRICT ADOPTED CURRICULUMS? HOW OUR MASTER PLAN IS ORGANIZED.
AS YOU LOOK AT THE COVER OF THE MASTER PLAN, THOSE ARE PUZZLE PIECES THAT CAN BE MOVED AROUND BECAUSE KIDDOS LIVE IN DIFFERENT SPACES WHERE ENGLISH LEARNERS BORN HERE, FOREIGN BORN, WE GET RECLASSIFIED, WE EARN AWARDS.
IF YOU'RE A KIDDO LIKE ME, ENGLISH, WHEN YOU'RE BORN HERE, MY FIRST ENGLISH WAS NOT SCHOOL.
IT WAS THE ENGLISH OF MY COMMUNITY WITH, I HATE TO SAY IT, MY LITTLE TLIS AND TOLIS AND, SORRY, THAT'S WHO I AM INSIDE.
AND MY GRANDMOTHER'S J ESPANOL.
THAT DIDN'T COME FROM A FORMAL EDUCATION.
YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHO WE ARE, AND WE ALL MOVE IN THESE SPACES.
SO YOU'LL SEE THE CHAPTERS, AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT WE HAVE A SPECIAL EDUCATION IN A GIFTED CHAPTER IN HERE.
OUR FAMILY SPOKE VERY LOUDLY, BUT HOW ARE, IS MY KIDDO STANDARD ENGLISH LEARNER, MY AMERICAN IN INDIAN CHILD? HOW ARE THEY GOING TO BE IDENTIFIED? GIFTED? WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR TWICE EXCEPTIONAL, DUALLY, DUALLY IDENTIFIED STUDENTS, EMERGENT BILINGUALS AND NEURODIVERSE STUDENTS.
THIS IS PART OF THIS MASTER PLAN.
THE STATE REQUIRES AN EL ROADMAP, BUT IN L-A-U-S-D, WE GO BEYOND WHAT THE STATE REQUIRES.
WE ARE ABOUT WHO OUR COMMUNITY SERVES.
SO THIS IS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ABOUT THE TAPESTRY OF WHO WE SERVE.
YOU WILL NOTE THAT EVERY CHAPTER TALKS ABOUT WHO WE SERVE AND HOW IMPORTANT HISTORY IS IMPORTANT.
ASSEMBLY BILLS, RIGHT? PIECES OF OUR CONSTITUTION WHERE ALL THIS WORK CAME FROM.
YOU WILL SEE THAT THERE, OUR TEACHERS WERE REALLY CLEAR WITH US, GIVE US REAL WORLD APPLICATIONS AND GIVE US A PLACE WHERE WE CAN CLICK AND FIND THE RESOURCES AND THE RESEARCH AND END NOTES.
AND DEFINITELY A GLOSSARY WITH ALL OF THESE TERMS. KEY HIGHLIGHTS AROUND SOME OF THESE CHAPTERS THAT WILL BE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER IS, AS YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THAT CLRP FOR OUR AMERICAN INDIAN AND THAT EXPANSION THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR AMERICAN INDIAN AND INDIGENOUS STUDENTS, DLE AWARDS, WE GAVE OVER 20,000 AWARDS LAST YEAR IN 52 LANGUAGES.
WE ARE THE ONLY DISTRICT IN THE NATION, AND I'VE BEEN RESEARCHING THAT DOES THAT, IF YOU CONSIDER AS WELL, THE SEAL OF BILITERACY, 7,201 IN FOUR KIDDOS, GRADUATES WITH THE SEAL OF BILITERACY.
AND THAT WAS IN OVER 80 LANGUAGES.
OUR EMERGENT BILINGUAL WORK, FOCUSING AROUND
[00:25:01]
THAT HIGH QUALITY PD AND THE IMPACT OF ELPAC ON OUR EMERGENT BILINGUALS, GIFTED AND TALENTED, AS WE SAID, FAMILIES WERE VERY, VERY CLEAR, INCREASE EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE IDENTIFICATION AND VERIFICATION POLICIES.OUR INTERNATIONAL NEWCOMERS INCLUDE RESOURCES, DISTRICTWIDE TO SUPPORT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS ACROSS THE DISTRICT IN ALL THE DIFFERENT SPACES AND LANGUAGES.
OUR REFUGEE AND MIGRANT ED CONTINUE THE LITERACY WORK AND THE PROGRAMS WITH THE ZOO SPECIAL EDUCATION.
AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR OVER THREE YEARS.
CONTINUE THAT COORDINATION OF THE APSS AND THE EL DESIGNEES AT SCHOOL SITES TO WORK WITH OUR FAMILIES TO MAKE SOME OF THESE COMPLEX SYSTEMS EASIER FOR OUR FAMILIES TO NAVIGATE.
STANDARD ENGLISH LEARNERS, SHIRAKI, HAWLEY, RINGS OF CULTURE, THINKING ABOUT ALL THOSE DIFFERENT SPACES AND AGAIN, OUR WORLD LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL WORK.
SO AS YOU LOOK AT THE MASTER PLAN AND WE BEGIN THE LAUNCH IN JUNE, TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE PUZZLE PIECES.
I BET A LOT OF THOSE PUZZLE PIECES COULD REPRESENT YOU, YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS, YOUR ANCESTORS, YOUR GODCHILDREN, PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE, AND ALSO OUR UNION PARTNERS, OUR COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
WE WILL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH JUNE, JULY, AND AUGUST IN PUBLISHING AND TRAINING ALL LEVELS, INCLUDING OUR PARAPROFESSIONALS, WHICH I FORGOT TO ADD THAT BULLET THERE, SO MY APOLOGIES.
LASTLY, EQUALITY IS GIVING EVERYONE A SHOE.
EQUITY IS GIVING EVERYONE A SHOE THAT FITS AND THAT SHOE CAN CHANGE SIZES FROM A 4-YEAR-OLD TO A NINTH GRADER, DEVELOPING AGENCY, PUSHING AGAINST THEIR FAMILIES AND US, AND TO THE CELEBRATION OF WHERE THEY GO COLLEGE AND CAREER AND BEYOND LIMITS IN OUR DISTRICT.
THANK YOU, MS. ACOA STEVENS, UH, FOR THIS PREVIEW ON ALL THE WORK, UM, IN THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT CAME INTO, UM, ORGANIZING AND FILLING ALL THE WONDERFUL, UM, ASPECTS AND STRATEGIES AND BELONGING THAT YOU MENTIONED, UM, AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO FROM MULTILINGUAL, UM, LEARNERS AND MULTICULTURAL STUDENTS.
SO NOW I WILL OPEN IT UP THE FLOOR FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES.
UM, WHAT ARE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGES AND ADVANCEMENTS, UM, FROM THE PREVIOUS VERSION? WHAT IS EXPANDING FOR OUR STUDENTS IN THIS PLAN? ONE OF THE KEY PIECES IS THE INTERSECTIONALITY PIECE.
WHEN I LED THE 20 17 18 MASTER PLAN, WE ACTUALLY ADDED, UM, NOT JUST ENGLISH LEARNERS.
WE ADDED THAT STANDARD ENGLISH LEARNER PIECE.
BUT AS THE WORLD IS CHANGING AND WE SEE WHO OUR STUDENTS ARE AND WE THINK ABOUT THE SPACES WE LIVE IN, THAT'S ONE OF THE KEY PIECES.
ALSO, INCLUDING ALL OF THESE ADDITIONAL CHAPTERS REGARDING THE DIFFERENT SPACES THEY LIVE AND HOW WE AS A DISTRICT HAVE BEEN LEADING THAT AMERICAN INDIAN AND INDIGENOUS WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS, AND ESPECIALLY THE GIFTED, THE SPECIAL EDUCATION, UM, THE HISTORICAL TIMELINES WAS SOMETHING WE ALSO HEARD THAT'S BEEN ADDED AND THE BROADENING OF HOW WE SERVICE AND WHAT WE PROVIDE IN D DIFFERENTIATION AND ALL OF THOSE NEEDS.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE KEY HIGHLIGHTS.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME TRADITIONAL PRACTICES IN THERE THAT WE ARE KEEPING AND REINFORCING.
HOW IS THE NEW PLAN STRENGTHENING HOMESCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS, ESPECIALLY FOR RE REFUGEE MIGRANT AND NEWCOMER FAMILIES WHO FACE ADDITIONAL BARRIERS FOR ENGAGEMENT? SO WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A DYNAMIC TEAM, A SMALL BUT DYNAMIC TEAM WHO RUNS ALL OF THAT WORK, DEPENDING ON WHAT'S HAPPENING GLOBALLY AND HOW STUDENTS IDENTIFY IT.
ALL THOSE WORKSHOPS ARE MADE THROUGH, UM, THE DEVELOPMENT AND RELATIONSHIP WITH LACO.
SO THERE ARE EVENINGS WITH OUR FAMILIES.
THERE'S ALSO SATURDAY PARENT AND STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY
[00:30:01]
THE LITTLE ONES WHO PARTICIPATE IN LITERACY WORKSHOPS.AMONG ONE OF THE MANY THINGS WE HAVE MATH WORKSHOPS AND OTHER THINGS.
SO THAT RELATIONSHIP AND US UNDERSTANDING AS THEY NAVIGATE QUESTIONS.
IN ADDITION, WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR DLAC C OFFICERS AND THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
WE HAD SEVERAL SESSIONS WITH THEM WHERE THEY WERE HIGHLY ENGAGED IN FEEDBACK, AND THAT IS WHY YOU SEE A GIFTED AND SPECIAL SPECIAL EDUCATION CHAPTER.
THEY WANTED US TO GO BEYOND THE COMPLIANCE, WHICH IS THE MINIMUM STANDARD.
ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, GO AHEAD, MS. GRADLE.
UM, FIRST I WANNA COMMEND YOU AND, AND YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
AND EVEN WHEN I WAS IN THE CLASSROOM, JUST SEEING THE BOOKS THAT YOU PURCHASE FOR OUR STUDENTS, IT, THEY'RE JUST AMAZING TITLES.
AND, UM, I WANT THAT FOR EVERYONE.
SO I'D LOVE TO, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A LIBRARY HERE IN THE BUILDING, BUT I'D LOVE TO GO OH, AND, AND SEE SOME OF THE BOOKS.
UM, AND THEN ALSO I PARTICIPATED, I GREETED THE STUDENTS, THE NEWCOMER, UH, STUDENTS AT THE NEWCOMER LEADERSHIP YEAH.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING FOR OUR NEWCOMER STUDENTS, A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN HAVE AGENCY VOICE PARTICIPATE, AND THERE WERE SO MANY STUDENTS PARTICIPATING YOUNG ONES AND PRACTICING THEIR ENGLISH SKILLS.
AND THEN ALSO THE WAY YOU ROLLED OUT THIS, UM, MASTER PLAN LISTENING AND LEARNING CAMPAIGN, I WAS PART OF THAT.
AND I APPRECIATE THE COMMITMENT OF INCLUSIVITY OF ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS AND SHARING WHAT, ESPECIALLY WHAT STUDENTS FEEL THEY NEED.
SO JUST PROPS TO YOU ALL, BECAUSE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING IS AMAZING.
AND I THINK, UM, MY QUESTIONS ARE AROUND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE A HIGH NUMBER OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, AND SO WE KNOW WE NEED TO, UH, CONTINUE WORKING ON HIRING AND RETAINING EDUCATORS WHO CAN, UH, SUPPORT, UM, OUR BILINGUAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS OR DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS. AND SO I'M WONDERING, CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT EFFORT THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW IN TRYING TO REHIRE AND RECRUIT AND RETAIN? DEFINITELY.
JUST YESTERDAY WE WERE WITH THE FRENCH CONSULATE, UM, WHO WAS SHARING WITH US.
AND OUR FOOD SERVICES TEAM WAS AMAZING THERE YESTERDAY ABOUT GLOBAL, UM, FOOD SERVICES NATIONALLY AND WHAT WE LEAD IN CALIFORNIA.
ONE OF THE REASONS WE GO TO THAT, AND THERE WERE A FEW PRINCIPALS THERE, IS BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING FOR FRENCH TEACHERS.
SO IT'S VERY GROUND ROOTS AND VERY PERSONAL TO US.
WE ALSO HAVE A REALLY VERY STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH FRANK AND HIS TEAM.
HE HAS BUILT A AMAZING PROGRAM AND WITH THE MICRO-CREDENTIALING PROGRAM, AND WE WERE THE FIRST ONE IN THE NATION TO HAVE AN EL ONE IN A DLE THAT HAS LED TO PROMOTING THOSE PIECES.
BUT WHAT THEY HAVE ALSO DONE WITH, UM, IT USED TO BE CALLED SECOND STEP, WE'RE BACK TO CAREER LADDER AND WHY WE TRAIN OUR PARAPROFESSIONALS IN MMED.
UM, ESPECIALLY OUR SPECIAL ED ASSISTANTS.
HOW DO WE PUT THEM IN THAT SPACE AND THAT TRAJECTORY THAT HR HAS BUILT SUCH A WEALTH THOUGHT OUT PLAN.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH MARCO NOVA'S TEAM BECAUSE THE STATE ACTUALLY DOES NOT REQUIRE, UM, THE CLAD ANYMORE AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, HR IS TAKING THE LEAD ON HOW WE CAN PROVIDE THAT TO MEET ALL OUR ASSIGNMENT MONITORING NEEDS HERE AS A DISTRICT FOR OUR SECONDARY TEACHERS.
SO THERE'S MULTIPLE PATHS IN ALL OF THIS.
AND WE HAVE ONE OF THE, AGAIN, I'M BIASED, L-A-U-S-D LIFER.
I THINK WE HAVE ONE OF THE BEST HR AND PCS IN THE NATION, BUT I'M BIASED, SO.
AND THEN REGARDING THE DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS, I'VE BEEN HEARING FROM SOME PARENTS THAT THE NUMBERS HAVE, THE ENROLLMENT HAS GONE DOWN, AND SO MUCH SO THAT NOW WE'RE HAVING COMBINATION CLASSES OF DUAL LANGUAGE AND EVEN SUPER COMBOS, WHICH I HAD NEVER HEARD OF A SUPER COMBO, BUT IT'S GRADE LEVELS MM-HMM
AND SO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
AND I'M WONDERING, UM, WHAT ARE THE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE MAKING IN TRYING TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT AND PROMOTING DUAL LANGUAGE, UM, IN OUR DISTRICT? SO THERE'S A FEW THINGS.
[00:35:01]
THE ENROLLMENT.ACTUALLY ENROLLMENT IN DLE IS INCREASING WHEN WE FIRST STARTED APPROXIMATELY 10 YEARS AGO, AND, YOU KNOW, AS A RESULT OF 2, 2 7, 180 7, ALL THAT CRAZINESS.
BUT WHEN PROP 58 CAME INTO PLAY, WE OPENED PROGRAMS EVERYWHERE, RIGHT? WE HAVE ABOUT 235 AND SEVEN LANGUAGES, BUT THEY START IN K.
THOSE HAVE INCREASED BECAUSE AT THE TIME I, I BELIEVE WE WERE AT ABOUT 8,000, WE'RE ALMOST 24,000 STUDENTS IN DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS. SO IT'S ACTUALLY NOT DROPPING, BUT CERTAIN COMMUNITIES BASED ON DEMOGRAPHICS, SOCIOECONOMIC CHANGES, WORK, AND OTHER THINGS THAT FAMILIES FACE THAT SHIFTS SOMETIMES WHERE IT SHOULD OPEN, WHERE ONE SHOULD CLOSE.
WHAT SHOULD WE DO ABOUT THAT? NOW, I'M GONNA BE VERY HONEST.
I PERSONALLY STRUGGLE WITH THE STRUGGLE THAT PEOPLE HAVE AROUND SPLITS AND SUPER COMBOS.
AND THIS WAS EVEN DOING, LIKE HAVING THE OCR OPEN COURT, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY THERE, AS MY MOM LIKES TO SAY, GON WHAT A SPLIT CAN DO.
AND IT'S, YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH THE TEACHERS AND YOU HAVE TO SUPPORT THEM.
AND ESPECIALLY THAT FIRST YEAR, THE PLANNING TIME IS IF TEACHERS ARE INTERESTED IN LOOPING STUDENTS, YOU'VE ALREADY KNOW WHO HALF YOUR CLASSES, THE FAMILIES KNOW YOU.
IF YOU LOOK AT SCHOOLS LIKE WALDORF AND OTHER SPACES, SUPER COMBOS ACTUALLY EXIST IN A LOT OF GIFTED AREAS ACROSS THE NATION.
THOSE THREE, FOUR FIVES ARE AMAZING.
AND I'VE SEEN PARENTS WANT THAT BECAUSE OF THE LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR FIFTH GRADERS TO BE THOSE LEADERS.
BUT TAKE IN THE LITTLE ONES, AND THEN THE LITTLE ONES GET TO SEE, THEY GET TO BE THE LEADERS.
IF YOU TEACH TO THAT HIGHEST LEVEL STANDARD AND BUILD THE SCAFFOLDS, IT'S QUITE A BEAUTIFUL THING.
ALSO, IF THERE'S A NEED FOR A STUDENT WHO MAY BE LIKE, THEIR BRAIN IS, THEY ARE A MATH WIZARD, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY JUST DON'T LIKE WRITING, HEY, WE'RE ALL DIFFERENT.
THEM WORKING ON THEIR WRITING SKILLS AT ANOTHER LEVEL IS NOT A STIGMA BECAUSE YOU'RE DIFFERENTIATING THOSE NEEDS.
SO WHAT I BELIEVE IS THAT WE HAVE TO BUILD THE SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR IT, BECAUSE THAT IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAPPEN, NOT JUST IN DLE, IN EVERYTHING.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING AT OUR TEACHERS HELPING TEACHERS INSTITUTE, WHICH WAS OUR SUPERINTENDENT'S, UM, NEW PRODUCT AND WE RAN WITH IT, IS ACTUALLY DOING TRAINING ON COMBOS AND SUPER COMBOS AND CREATING PLANNING TIME FOR THEM.
BECAUSE THE REALITY IS THEY NEED PLANNING TIME.
AND THERE ARE SOME AMAZING TEACHERS WITH CREATE OF IDEAS THAT, THAT CAN PLAY WITH THE CURRICULUM.
WE JUST HAVE TO BUILD THE SYSTEM TO SUPPORT IT.
I CAN'T ASK EVERYONE TO HAVE A 5-YEAR-OLD THIS YEAR AND A 6-YEAR-OLD, A 6-YEAR-OLD NEXT YEAR TO FORM PERFECT CLASSES OF KINDER IN FIRST GRADE THAT ARE ONLY 24 STUDENTS.
UNLESS I RULE THE WORLD, WHICH I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO CREATE PERFECT CLASSROOMS LIKE THAT.
BUT I THINK THERE'S WAY TO BUILD SUPPORT SYSTEMS. IF I MAY ALSO THANK YOU BOARD MEMBER, IT'S CARLA BACK HERE,
SO NOW IS THE TIME FOR US TO DO, TAKE A STEP BACK AND LOOK AT THE LANDSCAPE, UH, AND THEN MAKE A DETERMINATION ABOUT WHERE DO WE NEED TO MAKE SOME STRATEGIC DECISIONS IN SUPPORTING THE SCHOOLS ON ALTERNATIVES OR TO JUST RECOGNIZE THAT SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE GONNA LOOK A CERTAIN WAY FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
THOSE KINDS OF DECISIONS THAT WE'LL NEED TO MAKE.
BUT THERE IS A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT THAT WE WANNA DO ON THAT FRONT TOO.
AND YEAH, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT I THINK IF IT'S INTENTIONAL AND IT'S PLANNED AND YOU TRAIN FOLKS, IT IS DEFINITELY POSSIBLE.
AND, UM, BUT AGAIN, IT, ALL THE OTHER THINGS NEED TO BE IN PLACE.
AND SO, UM, AND THEN ALSO WE NEED TO INCLUDE PARENTS IN THAT CONVERSATION.
BECAUSE PARENTS ALSO NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, IF IT
[00:40:01]
IS GOING TO HAPPEN, HOW THE SCHOOL IS GONNA MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO MAKE IT SO THAT IT'S AN EXPERIENCE, THAT IT'S POSITIVE FOR THEIR CHILD AND THAT THEY, THEIR CHILD WILL BE GETTING THE BEST EDUCATION STILL IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.SO I THINK IT'S, THE MORE THAT WE ARE, UH, THAT WE CAN SHARE THIS CONVERSATION WITH OTHERS, UM, I THINK THAT PEOPLE WILL BE MORE OPEN TO IT.
EDUCATORS, IF THEY FEEL SUPPORTED, THEY'LL JUMP ON BOARD AND ASSISTANCE.
YES, YOU MENTIONED ASSISTANCE.
AND I THINK THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
IF WE CAN, UH, CONTINUE TO SUPPORT HAVING ASSISTANCE PARAPROFESSIONALS IN, UM, NOT ONLY IN THE DUAL LANGUAGE, BUT IN, IN GENERAL, BUT ALSO AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE NEWCOMERS AND ARE LEARNING ENGLISH.
I HAVE NOTICED THAT IF YOU HAVE AN ASSISTANT THERE, THEY DO MUCH BETTER, ESPECIALLY IN THE CLASSES LIKE BIOLOGY OR THE SCIENCES AND MATH, THAT INTEGRATED ELD, THAT CONNECTION.
THANK YOU MS. GREGGO FOR RAISING, UM, THE CONCERNS AND WANTING TO KNOW THE PLAN FOR OUR DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS. 'CAUSE THEY DO SHARE YOUR CONCERNS.
AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THERE IS A PLAN.
WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT OUR, UM, OUR TEACHERS, OUR DUAL LANGUAGE TEACHERS, AND ALSO THAT OVERALL, UM, AT THE MACRO LEVEL, THE DISTRICT LEVEL, THERE ARE SOME ANALYSIS THAT ARE GONNA, UM, TAKE PLACE AND TO IMPROVE NOT ONLY, UM, THE PROGRAM ITSELF, BUT ALSO THE ENROLLMENT AND HOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MANEUVERING THAT PARTICULARLY AS ENROLLMENT IS GOING DOWN.
BUT NOT FOR THESE PROGRAMS, THOUGH.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY INCREASING, WHICH IS GOOD TO KNOW.
UM, UM, MR. UM, SCHELL, PLEASE.
ON PAGE, UH, 11 THAT TALKS ABOUT NEXT STEPS, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE MASTER PLAN INSTITUTE WILL HAVE 800 PARTICIPANTS.
WHO ARE THESE PARTICIPANTS? THAT IS A BEAUTIFUL QUESTION.
THAT IS OUR EL DESIGNEES, OUR COORDINATORS, OUR TSP ADVISORS, TITLE ONE, ALL OF THAT.
IN ADDITION, THIS YEAR WE ARE LAUNCHING A FAMILY STRAND.
SO WE ARE INVITING PARENTS TO ALSO COME AND WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN DO A STUDENT PART OF IT.
WE'RE ALSO LETTING FAMILIES KNOW THAT THEY CAN SIT NEXT TO TEACHERS AND COORDINATORS IN ALL OF THESE TRAININGS AND LEARN SIDE BY SIDE WITH THEM.
YOU, HERE'S A, UH, PERPLEXING QUESTION.
SO FOR STUDENTS TO, WELL, LET'S SAY, LET'S SAY THIS FOR STUDENTS, SAY THAT THEY WANT POSITIVE AFFIRMATION OF THEIR BACKGROUNDS AND THEIR LANGUAGES.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW THAT WE DIDN'T DO BEFORE IN AN AFFIRMATION OF POSITIVE AFFIRMATION OF THEIR BACKGROUNDS AND LANGUAGES? WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW? SO SOME OF THOSE SPACES IS, UM, THE STATE AND THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MAY HAVE PARTICULAR COMPLIANCE TYPE LABELS.
BUT IF YOU THINK, THINK ABOUT THE TERM ENGLISH LEARNER, WE CHOOSE EMERGENT BILINGUAL BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT'S WHO THEY ARE.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY USING BOTH LANGUAGES, STRENGTHENING BOTH LANGUAGES.
SO PART OF IT IS OUR INTERNAL LABELS THAT WE USE AS A DISTRICT, JUST LIKE WE HAVE AT PROMISE FOR THE STATE.
IN ADDITION, IN OUR TRAININGS AT THE MASTER PLAN INSTITUTE AND WITH OUR TEACHERS, WE DID A LOT OF TRAINING ON TRANSLANGUAGING AND WHAT THAT MEANS IN DIFFERENT SPACES FOR STUDENTS.
SO TEACHERS HAVE ALSO LEARNED THINGS LIKE, AND I LEARNED THIS FROM ANOTHER TEACHER, UM, ESPECIALLY IF THERE WAS A CONSEQUENCE FOR A CHILD SAYING THINGS MORE LIKE, LOOK AT ME WITH YOUR BEAUTIFUL EYES.
RIGHT? VERSUS OTHER TYPES OF TERMS WHEN A CHILD MAYBE, UH, NEEDS SOME GRACE AND FORGIVENESS FOR AN ITEM.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE TERM FOREIGN BORN VERSUS INTERNATIONAL NEWCOMER, IT RAISES DIFFERENT THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS ABOUT WHO THEY ARE.
AND I WOULD SAY THIS ALSO LIVES ACROSS, UM, WITH OUR STUDENT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND OUR L-G-B-T-Q AND ALL THOSE OTHER AREAS.
SO SPEAKING TO CHILDREN FROM THE ASSET LENS AND NOT THE NEED BASE AND BUILDING UPON THAT.
AND ACTUALLY KIDS ARE KIND OF TEACHING US WHAT THEY CONSIDER ASSETS BASED AND ALSO WORKING WITH FAMILIES.
IF I CALL EVERYBODY AT TE SOTO, THEN I'M CONNECTED.
UH, UH, SOME MORE PERPLEXING QUESTIONS OR STATEMENTS.
SO, SO FOR STUDENTS TO RECEIVE AN AFFIRMATION, WE HAVE TO DO MORE TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE WELCOME TO SPEAK THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE AS THEY ALSO LEARN ENGLISH.
BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID, YOU WERE, OH MY GOODNESS, MY PARENTS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK ANYTHING BUT ENGLISH.
[00:45:01]
THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY ON THE BUS.THEY NEVER SPOKE THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE.
AND THAT, THAT'S AN OLD FASHIONED OLD SCHOOL REASON THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN ANYMORE.
BUT THE SYSTEM IS VERY UNFAIR AT TIMES TO ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS BECAUSE THEIR TESTS ARE IN ENGLISH, THE TEACHERS ARE LIMITED, AND HOW THEY CAN HELP STUDENTS DURING ASSESSMENTS.
SO HOW CAN WE AFFIRM THE NATIVE LANGUAGE OF A STUDENT AND HELP THEM FEEL POSITIVE ABOUT THEMSELVES IF THEY DON'T DO WELL ON A TEST BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T UNDERSTAND THE WORDS ON THE TEST.
SO A LOT OF THIS COMES BACK TO WHAT WE, UM, CALL DATA CHATS.
FOR EXAMPLE, HAVING A STUDENT HAVE AGENCY OVER THEIR DATA AND JUST HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT TRYING YOUR BEST AND SETTING GOALS.
WE DO A LOT WITH VISION BOARDS WITH OUR STUDENTS TO THINK ABOUT THOSE SPACES.
I WILL SAY, UM, WHAT YOU RAN INTO WITH YOUR PARENTS WAS THE SAME THING AS MY HUSBAND WHO DOES NOT SPEAK SPANISH, BECAUSE THAT WOULD HAPPEN.
AND FOR ME, I WAS IDENTIFIED A DUAL IDENTIFIED, UH, SPED IN THIRD GRADE.
SO WE ARE MAKING SURE WE EDUCATE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND, AGAIN, WHO CHILDREN ARE, THE AFFIRMATION OF LANGUAGE, THE AWARDS ARE ACTUALLY BUILDING THAT DISTRICT WIDE.
BECAUSE WE HAVE CHILDREN WHO MAY ONLY SPEAK ENGLISH ONLY NOW, WHO ARE GOING TO OTHER CHILDREN WHO SPEAK OTHER LANGUAGES, ARMENIAN, FRENCH, UM, ARABIC, SPANISH.
CAN YOU TEACH ME THAT? I WANNA LEARN THAT AWARD THAT YOU'RE GONNA EARN WHEN YOU'RE FOUR AND FIVE YEARS OLD.
SO IT'S THAT COMMUNITY, THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S THE WORK THAT WE LEAD IN OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
AND WHEN THEY, THE KIDDOS ATTEND OUR WEBINARS WITH THEIR PARENTS, AND THEY'RE TALKING IN ALL THESE LANGUAGES ABOUT ALL THE AWARDS.
SO IT'S THAT CELEBRATION AND JOY, LIKE A BEAUTIFUL TEAM MEMBER, CARLA GUTTER SAID, WE CAN'T LET ANYBODY TAKE OUR JOY AWAY.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE LIVE IN MULTICULTURAL AND MULTILINGUALISM.
BEFORE I LAST, BEFORE MY LAST QUESTION, LEMME JUST TELL YOU, ON THE BEELINE THAT I TAKE MANY TIMES TO COME TO BERI, YOU HEAR EVERY LANGUAGE IMAGINABLE, AND I LIKE TO GUESS WHAT ARE THEY SPEAKING? SO I CAN USUALLY TELL IF IT'S ARMENIAN OR IF IT'S, UM, OF COURSE, SPANISH, OF COURSE.
BUT NOW WHAT I HEAR MORE AND MORE ARE INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES.
AND I LOOK AND I THOUGHT, OH, I, I THOUGHT THEY WERE SPEAKING SPANISH.
AND EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE I HEAR A SPANISH WORD COME UP IN THEIR INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING THAT EVERYBODY WAS INTERESTED IN OTHER PEOPLE'S CULTURE AND LANGUAGE.
WHAT A BETTER WORLD WE WOULD HAVE, DON'T YOU THINK? EXACTLY.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE AMERICAN INDIAN AND IN INDIGENOUS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN LED BY OUR CARMINE WHO'S BACK THERE AND ALL THESE PARTNERSHIPS WITH CIELO AND IEN AND EVERYONE.
UM, IT'S REALLY, I MEAN, HONESTLY, IT'S COOL JUST LEARNING ALL THESE THINGS.
I'LL GIVE YOU ONE COMPLAINT WITH ALL THOSE POSITIVE THINGS.
SO ONE OF THE MAIN COMPLAINTS THAT I HAVE HEARD FROM COMMUNITY IS THE LACK OF INTERPRETATION SERVICES DURING MEETINGS AT SCHOOL SITES.
AND I KNOW ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WHEN I WAS AT COCHRANE MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE BOUGHT OUR OWN SYSTEM.
WE COPIED THE EXACT SYSTEM THAT L-A-U-S-D USES WHEN THE INTERPRETER COMES TO THE SCHOOL, BECAUSE EVERY TIME I WOULD CALL, THEY'D BE OUT BUSY, RIGHT? SO I'D HAVE, I'D HAVE THE EQUIPMENT, I'D HAVE THE HEADSETS, HAVE TO MAKE SURE I GET 'EM BACK FROM ALL THE KIDS, ALL THAT STUFF.
BUT, UM, AND I WOULD FIND AN INTERPRETER AT SCHOOL.
THEY WEREN'T AS GOOD, THEY WEREN'T AS GOOD AS THE L-A-U-S-D INTERPRETERS, OF COURSE, BUT IT'S THE BEST I CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THE PARENTS WEREN'T PARTICIPATING.
SO HOW ARE WE ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE OF THE LACK OF INTERPRETERS AND HOW DO WE LET SCHOOLS KNOW THAT, UH, THE SERVICE CAN BE PROVIDED TO THEM AT NO COST IF THERE'S ENOUGH OF THEM AND THEY'RE NOT BOOKED? AGREED.
SO WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH SASE, WITH ANTONIO, WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER ON LOOKING AT WHAT LANGUAGE NEEDS ARE.
WE ALSO, BECAUSE WE WORK SO CLOSELY WITH SCHOOLS AND REGIONS, THEY LET US KNOW IF A UNIQUE LANGUAGE OR SITUATION IS COMING UP BANGLADESH OR SOME OTHER LANGUAGE.
AS WE SAID, THERE'S 80 AWARDS, 80 LANGUAGES, ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT SPACES, UH, THAT WILL ALWAYS BE EVER EVOLVING, UM, BASED ON WHO ENROLLS.
AND WE WILL JUST ALWAYS BE LOOKING AT THAT AND, AND SUPPORTING IT.
I THINK WE DO DO AN EXCELLENT JOB AS A DISTRICT, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON INFORMING OUR SCHOOLS OF THE OPTIONS
[00:50:01]
THEY HAVE AVAILABLE.UM, I WANT TO SAY THANK TO DR.
RAA AS WELL FOR, UM, KIND OF ANSWERING ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO STRATEGICALLY LOOKING AT DUAL ENROLLMENT AND THE AREAS IN WHICH, UH, SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS EXIST AND HOW TO EXPAND SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS. UM, AND THEN I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THE SEL IN THIS ORGANIZATION AND IN THIS UPDATED VERSION, CAN YOU SHARE SOME ADDITIONAL INSIGHT ON WHAT ADDITIONAL CURRICULUM SUPPORTS AND RESOURCES WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE SEL? PERFECT.
SO WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT OUR STANDARD ENGLISH LEARNER WORK, OUR AMP SCHOOLS ARE THE HUB WHERE ALL THIS WORK IS DONE.
SO WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 15 COACHES WITH THAT WORK.
THEY DO A LOT KEENLY IN WORKING ON LESSON DEVELOPMENT THAT THEY WILL SHARE AND HAVE AVAILABLE DISTRICT-WIDE.
THE TEAM ALSO WORKED VERY STRATEGICALLY TO DEVELOP A-C-L-R-P TRIFOLD REGARDING LITERACY AND THREE STRATEGIES.
THAT'S ALSO A DISTRICT-WIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS AVAILABLE LAST YEAR.
THEY CONTINUE TO LOOK AT RESEARCHERS AND THEY PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT LEAST TWICE A MONTH, BUT WITH AMP SCHOOLS AND THE LEADERS THERE, THEY MEET WITH THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND WITH THE COACHES, THAT WORK TIES INTO OUR SECONDARY WORK THAT, UM, INVOLVES, UM, FOR OUR STUDENTS REGARDING UCLA AND USC AND THE ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM.
IN ADDITION, THEY HAVE PARTNERED WITH ERIN, WHO'S HERE SOMEWHERE FROM OUR GIFTED DEPARTMENT ON THE IDENTIFICATION PIECE, BECAUSE WE HEARD VERY LOUD AND CLEARLY AS WELL, NOT JUST FOR EMERGENT BILINGUALS, BUT FOR OUR STANDARD ENGLISH LEARNERS.
HOW DO WE GET THAT GIFTED IDENTIFICATION SPACE FOR US AND ACCESS TO ALL THOSE CLASSES.
SO ALL THE SYSTEMS IN PLACE, PLUS THE CURRICULUM, THE TEAM HAS A STRONG HISTORY IN DEVELOPING THOROUGH RESEARCH SPACE PRACTICES.
AND THEN WITH, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE AMP PROGRAM, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE RESOURCES FOR THE SCHOOLS? BECAUSE OFTEN I'M VISITING, THEY'RE SAYING IT FEELS LIKE THEY'RE BEING PHASED OUT.
WELL, WE HAVE PARENT DIRECTORS, PARENT CENTER DIRECTORS THAT WE TRAIN.
THERE ARE ALSO SOME SCHOOLS WHO RECEIVE BETWEEN 3000 AND $5,000 TO MOVE SOME OF THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. WE ALSO SUPPORT THEM WITH LOST LINKS.
THE TRAINING, THE ANALYSIS OF THE DATA.
IT'S NOT MANDATED THAT TEACHERS MUST ATTEND ALL THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
SO A WONDERING I WOULD HAVE IS, ARE THEY ATTENDING THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT? AND IF THEY'RE NOT POTENTIALLY SHARING WITH US, WHY OR WHY NOT? SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION FOR THEM.
AND THEN OUR AMP TEAM ALSO DOES SPECIFIC SITE VISITS AND WORKS EXCLUSIVELY WITH THOSE TEACHERS.
AND THERE'S ACTUALLY, I BELIEVE, FOUR PRINCIPALS MEETINGS CONNECTING ALL OF THOSE PIECES TOGETHER FOR THE FOUR GROUPS, WHICH IS BLACK, UM, MEXICAN AMERICAN, CHICANO, AMERICAN INDIAN.
AND, OOH, I JUST DREW A BLANK ON MY LAST ONE.
AND THEN LAST, I KNOW, UM, WITH THE ETO OFFICE, WHAT ARE SOME RESOURCES THAT ARE ALIGNING OUR BSAP SUPPORT ACADEMICS ALONGSIDE WITH THE PROGRAM? SO WITH OUR ETO OFFICE, UM, THE TIERED SCHOOLS, AND ACTUALLY WITH OUR REGIONS, THEY ASK US TO CONDUCT ALL THE TRAINING WITH THE PRIORITY SCHOOLS.
SO WE DO SPECIALIZED TRAINING JUST FOR THOSE SCHOOLS THAT ETO SUPPORTS ON DLE, ON WORLD LANGUAGES, ON EMERGENT BILINGUAL WORK, YOU NAME IT, WE DO IT.
WE DO THE SAME THING WITH THE REGIONS FOR THE TIERED SCHOOLS THAT THEY ARE SUPPORTING AS WELL.
AND WITH BSAP, WE HAVE STANDING MEETINGS EVERY MONTH.
TRAVIS AND I CONNECT ALL THE TIME BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO, AND WORKING ON EXPANDING THE SEAL OF BILITERACY FOR OUR BLACK STUDENTS WHO ALSO ARE VERY INTERESTED IN BEING MULTILINGUAL.
[00:55:02]
THANK YOU.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. MALVO? YES.
AND APOLOGIES FOR HAVING TO STEP OUT FOR A FEW.
I'LL PRESUME THAT MOST OF MY QUESTIONS WERE ASKED AND ANSWERED BY MY COLLEAGUES, BUT ONE, JUST 'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE DISCUSSED.
IT'S JUST, UH, AND MAYBE FOR YOU AND THE SUPERINTENDENT, I THINK, UM, WE, THERE'S BEEN A FOCUS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS ON EXPANSION OF DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS MM-HMM
BUT I THINK, UH, THEY ALSO REQUIRE A LOT OF MAINTENANCE AND IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN REALLY YES.
SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS. AND I THINK SOME OF THE ELEMENTARY DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS IN MY DISTRICT ARE ONES WHERE WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DATA, WE'RE ATTRACTING THE MOST STUDENTS FROM OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT.
WE'RE GETTING PERMITS IN FROM SANTA MONICA AND CULVER CITY.
UM, AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT PATHWAY.
AND I THINK WITH DIFFERENT DIVISIONS LIKE REGION, IN MY CASE, REGION, WEST MED SPO, THERE ARE LIKE NOW A LOT OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THINKING THROUGH THIS.
BUT SOMETIMES WORKING IN SILOS.
AND SO MY ENCOURAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S GETTING MORE DIFFICULT IN MIDDLE AND HIGH TO DO FULL PATHWAYS WHEN IT COMES TO TEACHER RECRUITMENT, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE ACTUALLY WERE TALKING WITH THE FINN DELEGATION ABOUT YESTERDAY.
UM, BUT ALSO AS FOLKS, AS STUDENTS JUST HAVE, UH, LESS ROOM IN THEIR SCHEDULE.
BUT I, I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE, THESE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE TOUTING THAT ARE INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL, WE'RE NOT LETTING DIE ON THE VINE BECAUSE WE'RE FOCUSING ON EXPANSION AND NOT MAINTENANCE.
WE HAD A, I HAD A, A RESOLUTION THAT I PULLED BECAUSE WE HAD A COMMITMENT FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT.
I THINK IT WAS A $10 MILLION ALLOCATION A FEW YEARS AGO TO SUSTAIN.
'CAUSE I THINK WHEN WE'VE SEEN INCREASES IN THE BUDGET ALLOTMENT FOR, FOR DUAL LANGUAGE, IT'S USUALLY TO EXPAND.
BUT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DO THOSE CLASSES OR DO THOSE SCHOOLS NEED DIFFERENT NORMS? DO THEY NEED MORE TAS? LIKE, IT'S JUST A MORE DIFFICULT PROGRAM TO SUSTAIN.
AND I'D REALLY LIKE US TO SEE, UH, A BUDGETARY INVESTMENT IN THAT AND JUST ALSO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR ON WHO IS BETWEEN SPO AND THE REGIONS AND MED WHO'S, UH, UM, GUIDING THAT SHIP, KNOWING THAT EVERYONE'S GONNA HAVE A PART IN IT SO THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PATHWAYS ARE SUSTAINABLE.
I KNOW WE LIKE JUST, WE HAD SOME CHALLENGES THE LAST FEW YEARS WITH OUR VENICE PATHWAYS WITH MANNER IN SPANISH.
AND NOW AS WE'RE SOLVING IT, I KNOW WE'RE GETTING EMAILS AS A LEADERSHIP TEAM, JUST HOW GRATEFUL THE FAMILIES ARE THAT THEY HAVE A SPOT.
UM, AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN SUSTAIN THAT GOING FORWARD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY AND, UH, THE COMMUNITY YOU SERVE.
WE'VE LEARNED A LOT AND WE'RE JUST GETTING BETTER.
DR. ESTRADA DID, UH, RESPOND TO THAT REGARDING, UM, AN ASSESSMENT WE'LL BE HAVING AND PULLING IN PLACE.
AND THERE'S MAR MANY CONVERSATIONS FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU ARE MENTIONING.
AND JUST, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT CAME UP EARLIER, BUT BECAUSE I DID ALLUDE TO IT, I WOULD LOVE US TO SEE, UM, ADVOCACY AROUND CRED, CREDENTIAL FLEXIBILITY WHEN IT COMES TO DUAL LANGUAGE TEACHERS.
UM, I THINK IT'S HARDER, IT, IT'S HARD ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN AT THE ELEMENTARY GRADES, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR A MANDARIN SPEAKER WHO'S ALSO CREDENTIALED IN PHYSICS OR BIOLOGY OR I KNOW, UH, MS. EZ WAS, UM, MENTIONING THE DIFFICULTIES WITH OUR, UH, TAGALOG PROGRAMS, UM, JUST IN THE ELEMENTARY SETTING.
AND SO FIGURING OUT HOW WE CAN, WHETHER THAT'S ADVOCACY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WHICH I KNOW IS, IS QUITE COMPLICATED RIGHT NOW.
OR JUST STATE CREDENTIALING FLEXIBILITY TO ALLOW NATIVE SPEAKERS TO COME AND SUPPORT OUR PROGRAMS. THANK YOU.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH MARCO NAVA.
AND I DO WANNA SAY THAT THE SECONDARY PATHWAY DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO MANDATE TWO COURSES.
WHAT WE'VE DISCOVERED THAT THE STUDENTS ARE TELLING US IS WE DON'T WANT TO COURSES, WE JUST WANT ONE COURSE BECAUSE WE'RE INTERESTED IN ANOTHER ELECTIVE.
SO THERE'S A NEGOTIATION HAPPENING AS A FUTURE PARENT.
WHEN YOUR KIDDO'S A TEEN
AND SOMETIMES THE BEST WAY TO KEEP THE LANGUAGE GOING IS SAYING, NO MATTER WHAT, YOU'RE TAKING ONE.
I WON'T MAKE YOU TAKE TWO COURSES.
ONE IS YOUR CHOICE, BUT WE'LL WORK WITH THEM.
UM, I'M GONNA GO WITH MS UH, EZ.
SHE'S, UH, JOINING US HERE THROUGH ZOOM.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MS. EZ? UM, JUST A COUPLE.
STEVEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UM, ALL OF YOUR AND THE TEAM'S WORK AND JUST THE DEEP COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT I KNOW WENT INTO DEVELOPING THIS PLAN.
UM, I KNOW THAT THIS PLAN WILL HAVE A TRANSFORMATIVE LONG-TERM IMPACT ON OUR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS AND BY CENTERING AND UPLIFTING THE ASSETS THAT THEY AND THEIR FAMILIES BRING TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO JUST APPRECIATION FOR, FOR EVERYTHING.
UM, I WAS EXCITED TO SEE, UM, KIND OF THE UPLIFTING OF OUR AMERICAN INDIAN AND INDIGENOUS STUDENTS, AS WELL AS, UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE INTERSECTIONALITY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT OUR MERCHANT BILINGUALS ARE SUCH A DIVERSE GROUP.
AND SO I THINK THAT THIS PLAN GOES A LONG WAY TOWARDS, UM, RECOGNIZING THAT DIVERSITY, CELEBRATING IT, AND ENSURING THAT, UM, APPROPRIATE SUPPORTS ARE PUT IN, ARE PUT IN PLACE FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
UM, FOLLOWING UP ON THAT, I WANTED TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE GIFTED COMPONENTS OF THE PLAN.
[01:00:01]
ESA, OUR RESOLUTIONS, UM, FOCUSED ON MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS LAST YEAR, AS WELL AS PREVIOUS RESOLUTIONS AROUND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO SOME OF THE DISTRICT'S MOST RIGOROUS AND HIGH QUALITY PROGRAMS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS RAISED WAS KIND OF THE LOW NUMBERS OF EMERGENT BILINGUALS WHO WERE BEING IDENTIFIED AS GIFTED.AND WE KNOW THAT GIFTEDNESS EXISTS IN ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND IT'S FOR A MATTER OF OUR PRACTICES, UM, NOT BEING INCLUSIVE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THAT.
SO IF YOU COULD SHARE MORE ON BESIDES THAT, UM, GIFTED, GIFTED PROGRAMS IS A CHAPTER.
UM, WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN TERMS OF OUR POLICIES AND PRACTICES AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT? RIGHT.
SO I'LL GIVE YOU A CURRENT PRACTICE BECAUSE WE ARE LIVING OUR MASTER PLAN, UM, EVEN BEFORE IT GETS PUBLISHED.
AND I'D LIKE TO CALL OUT ACTUALLY, SHAYNA AND ERIN, WHO ARE BACK HERE, WHO HAVE LED VERY STRATEGIC AND INTENTIONAL WORK WITH ELO FUNDS, AN AFTERSCHOOL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM ON LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIOS, AND HOW TO LOOK AT ALL THOSE LITTLE KIDDOS WHO, MAYBE THE KIDDO WHO OFTEN MIGHT HAVE A REFERRAL FOR A CONSEQUENCE AND TIME FOR REFLECTION WITH A LEADER IN THE OFFICE.
AND HOW DO WE TAP INTO THAT? AND ACTUALLY, WE JUST, THIS SATURDAY DID A HUGE CELEBRATION ON THAT PIECE.
SO WE'RE LEARNING A LOT FROM ERIN AROUND SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES IN THE WORK SHE'S BEEN LEADING FOR MANY YEARS.
BUT IN ADDITION, UM, OUR SHAYNA HARDY OVER HERE IS JUST LIKE A SUPERSTORM ZOOM, ZOOM ZOOM WITH INNOVATIVE IDEAS AND OPPORTUNITIES.
WE PLAN ON EXPANDING THAT AND LEVERAGING IT AS WE LOOK AT THE UCLA AND USC WORK IN TERMS OF ARCHITECTURE FOR ALL OF OUR LATINX AND ACTUALLY ALL OUR STUDENTS IN ALL THE SPACES.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE, AND THAT WILL CONTINUE TO LIVE BECAUSE THE MASTER PLAN IS ACTUALLY POLICY.
AND THAT IS PART OF WHAT THEN, YOU KNOW, THE WHITE PAPER PIECE OF THE POLICY THAT GOES OUT TO OUR SCHOOLS.
UM, AND THEN ON IN A SIMILAR VEIN, I WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT, UM, JUST THE FOCUS ON OUR, UH, DUAL IDENTIFIED STUDENTS, OUR, UM, EMERGENT BILINGUALS WHO ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES.
IF YOU COULD SHARE MORE ABOUT, UM, WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC CHANGES THE, THE PLAN ENTAILS IN THAT FRONT? SO ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE FOUND WITH OUR EMERGENT BILINGUAL AND OUR NEURODIVERSE KIDDOS, WHICH WE CALL TWICE EXCEPTIONAL, THAT TERM FOR THEM, IS THAT THE FAMILIES, UM, NEED NEEDED A LOT OF SUPPORT IN HOW TO NAVIGATE.
SO OUR PARTNER, ALICIA, SOMEWHERE HERE, UM, WE'VE PARTNERED TO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR A PSS AND OUR EL DESIGNEES TSP ADVISORS AT SCHOOL SITES.
AND IT IS ALIGNED, IT IS A SEGMENT AS PART OF OUR MASTER PLAN INSTRUCTIONAL INSTITUTE.
SO WHEN WE STARTED THIS WORK APPROXIMATELY THREE YEARS AGO, AND EVERY YEAR WE LEARN MORE, YOU KNOW, WE DO BETTER EVERY TIME WE LEARN.
I DON'T KNOW, THERE'S A Z SHOW, I HAVE TO REMEMBER IT.
UM, ON THAT END, WE'VE FOUND THAT IT'S ALWAYS COMING BACK TO THE COMMUNICATION PIECE.
AND AS THE KIDDOS GET OLDER, ESPECIALLY IN SECONDARY, LETTING IT HAVE THAT SPACE, IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE PARENT, I WILL ALSO SAY THAT ANTONIO HAS BEEN A HUGE PARTNER WITH US.
AND WHENEVER WE KNOW THAT SOMEONE MIGHT BE STRUGGLING IN THE LEGAL COMPLEXITIES WHERE ALL OF THIS CROSSES OVER, SOMEONE FROM THE MMED TEAM GOES OUT TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOL, SOMEONE FROM OUR SPED TEAM GOES OUT, UM, THE REGIONS AS WELL.
UM, I, IF, IF IT'S OKAY, I'D LIKE TO BRING ALICIA UP FOR JUST A HOT SECOND TO ALSO ADDRESS WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
AND I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT ERIN UP.
SO THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN SPECIAL EDUCATION AND OUR MULTILINGUAL DEPARTMENT HAS ONLY STRENGTHENED OVER TIME.
AS LYDIA TALKED ABOUT IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE'VE REALLY BEEN REFLECTING ON OUR PRACTICES TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT ONLY, UM, CONTINUING THOSE PRACTICES THAT ARE SUCCESSFUL, BUT THAT WE'RE ALWAYS ADOPTING, ADAPTING, AND EVEN ABANDONING WHEN WE NEED TO.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE OFFERING STELLAR SERVICE TO OUR FAMILIES.
AND THE WAY WE DO THAT IS THROUGH OUR STAFF.
WE ENSURE THAT THE PARTNERSHIP WITH MED AND SPED IS FRONT AND CENTER.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TRAINING OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS, AND THE OTHER LEADERS AT OUR SCHOOL SITES, TO SEE THE CONNECTION AND THE INTERSECTIONALITY BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS.
WE KNOW THAT MANY OF THE, UM, RESOURCES AND ACCOMMODATIONS AND SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE ARE SIMILAR FOR BOTH GROUPS OF STUDENTS.
BUT WHAT WE DO NOW AND WHAT WE'VE IMPROVED UPON,
[01:05:01]
I THINK, IS REALLY BEING ABLE TO OPERATIONALIZE THOSE PIECES AND HELP PEOPLE REALLY SEE THOSE CONNECTIONS DIRECTLY SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY IS DOING IN SILO, BUT WE'RE SEEING THOSE CON THOSE CONNECTIONS ACROSS THE BOARD SO THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE, LEVERAGE THEM WITH DIFFERENT STUDENT GROUPS.AND THE WAY THAT WE DO THAT, AGAIN, IS THROUGH THAT CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IN THE PLAN THIS YEAR, UM, IN BOTH THE MASTER PLAN AND IN THE DIVISION OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONS FROM THEIR LISTEN AND LEARN CAMPAIGN, IS TALKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN ENGAGE OUR FAMILIES EVEN MORE DEEPLY WITH UNDERSTANDING, AS LYDIA SAID, HOW TO NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM, BUT ALSO THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF OUR FAMILIES, AND HOW WE CAN BRING EVERYBODY TOGETHER TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO ENSURE OUR STUDENT SUCCESS.
SO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ADDITIONAL WORKSHOPS FOR PARENTS IN THIS WORK, UM, AND THAT INTERSECTIONALITY AS WELL AS LOOKING AT ADDITIONAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAFF.
UM, I THINK THAT WHEN WE SPEAK TO FAMILIES ABOUT HOW, UM, ABOUT THEIR STUDENTS OR MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS, THE NEED FOR GREATER COMMUNICATION IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT'S UPLIFTED.
SO IT'S GREAT TO HEAR THAT, UM, IN THIS AREA THAT THAT IS A FOCUS.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO LEARN MORE.
I, I THINK THAT IT WAS SOME OF THE STUDENT FEEDBACK AROUND, UM, WANTING ACCESS TO APS AND, UM, LIKE COLLEGE READY COURSEWORK.
WE KNOW FOR OUR EMERGENT BILINGUALS, THERE HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN LIMITED ACCESS THROUGH MORE LIMITED ACCESS TO, UM, THINGS LIKE ADVANCED COURSEWORK, UM, ELECTIVE CLASSES.
I WONDER IF YOU CAN SHARE MORE ABOUT OUR WORK TO ENSURE EQUITABLE ACCESS FOR OUR MERCHANT BILINGUALS TOO.
UM, RIGOROUS COURSEWORK IN THE SECONDARY SPACE AS WELL AS ELECTIVES.
UM, AND IF YOU MIGHT TOUCH ON THE COMPREHENSIVE E-L-A-E-L-D PILOT, UM, WORK THAT'S ALSO GOING ON.
WE NO LONGER HAVE THE PILOT, BUT WE ARE NOW FULL GO, GO, GO.
MISSION LAUNCH WITH ALL OF OUR SECONDARY PROGRAMS, KIDDOS, FAMILIES, EVERYONE TOLD US WHAT THEY NEEDED, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID.
SO WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL GRADE LEVEL ELD.
SO A STUDENT WILL TAKE A GRADE LEVEL ELD COURSE WITH ALSO LEVERAGING THE ELA CURRICULUM.
SO YOU WILL HAVE STUDENTS WHO MAY NOT HAVE RECLASSIFIED ALONG WITH YEAR TWO AND THREE INTERNATIONAL NEWCOMERS.
SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A PERFECT EXAMPLE THAT WAS JUST SHARED WITH ME AT VAN NUYS HIGH SCHOOL.
OFTEN PEOPLE SAY, WELL, NO, WE JUST WANT TO TEACH TO THIS LEVEL OR TO THIS GROUP.
THE TEACHER STARTED SAYING, I HAD MY DOUBTS.
I WAS A LITTLE WORRIED, BUT YOU GUYS PREPARED ME.
SO VAN NUYS HAS THIS AWARD-WINNING NEWSPAPER.
THE INTERNATIONAL NEWCOMER SAID, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE.
WE WON AN AN AWARD-WINNING NEWSPAPER, AND WE'RE GONNA DO IT IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES.
WILL YOU HELP US DO AN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM? HELP US FOUND OUT ADVISOR THAT CAME FROM THAT CLASS.
BUT GUESS WHAT? THE KIDDOS WHO HAD NOT RECLASSIFIED FOR FOUR OR FIVE, SIX YEARS SAID, BUT HOLD ON.
SINCE I'VE BEEN WITH YOU IN THAT CLASS, I'M LEARNING MY SPANISH AGAIN.
I WANT TO WRITE AN ARTICLE FOR YOUR PAPER ABOUT HOW I AM RECLAIMING MY ANCESTRY LANGUAGE.
THAT IS ONE OF THOSE EXAMPLES THAT CAN ONLY COME FROM CHILDREN.
UM, WE WORKED VERY HARD TO TRAIN TEACHERS.
WHEN WE DO THAT POLICY, WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING AFTER THE SECOND YEAR, WE DON'T MANDATE THE COURSE.
WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE DIVISION OF INSTRUCTION BECAUSE WE DO HAVE COMPLIANCE ITEMS WITH THE STATE ABOUT MAKING SURE THE ELD STANDARDS ARE ALIVE AND CENTRAL IN THE ELA COURSE FOR THAT GRADE LEVEL, BECAUSE THE FRAMEWORK IS AN ELD AND ELA FRAMEWORK.
AND AS WE MOVE TOWARDS, UM, FULL DISTRICT-WIDE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS WORK, CAN YOU SHARE HOW WILL WE MEASURE, UM, OUTCOMES AND, AND TRACK THE SUCCESS? UM, OBVIOUSLY THE BOARD, UM, METRICSES, WE ALSO HAVE OUR LCAP AND WE ALIGN ALL OF THOSE PIECES, AND THEN WE ADD SOME AROUND AWARDS AND ALL OF THOSE PIECES.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR AREA, AREA IN EVERY CHAPTER.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A YEARLY MASTER PLAN EVALUATION THAT IS CONDUCTED BY OUR RESEARCH DEPARTMENT HERE THAT ANALYZES ALL THE DATA FOR ALL THE STUDENTS AND PROVIDES US FEEDBACK ON GROWS AND GLOWS AND NEXT STEPS.
AND THEN LAST QUESTION FOR ME IS JUST, UM, AROUND OUR INTERNATIONAL NEWCOMERS, IF YOU COULD SHARE MORE ABOUT WHAT DIFFERENTIATED SUPPORTS WE OFFER TO THEM, AND HOW DOES THE PLAN ACCOUNT FOR NOT JUST
[01:10:01]
THEIR ACADEMIC NEEDS, BUT ALSO THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF OUR NEWCOMERS AND THEIR FAMILIES? THANK YOU.SO WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT AS A DISTRICT, WE MAKE AN INVESTMENT IN APPROXIMATELY 300 THROUGH THE MMAD DEPARTMENT, SCHOOL-BASED POSITIONS.
WE TRAIN EVERYONE TO WORK WITH EVERY TYPOLOGY OF EMERGENT BILINGUAL, WITH THE SPECIAL FOCUS ON OUR INTERNATIONAL NEWCOMERS, AND I'M GONNA GO BACK A LITTLE BIT, UM, OUR AIDES HAVE RECEIVED SPECIFIC TRAINING ON INTERNATIONAL NEWCOMERS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT'S OFTEN THE FIRST PERSON THEY MIGHT FEEL THE MOST COMFORT WITH AS WE, YOU KNOW, HELP THEM WITH THEIR AGENCY AND THEIR BELONGING.
I KNOW I'VE SEEN SOME GREAT WORK AT SCHOOLS WITH OUR INTERVENTIONISTS DOING SPECIFIC WORK AROUND OUR, OUR INTERNATIONAL NEWCOMERS.
SO, UM, IT'S EXCITING TO SEE THAT PROGRESS AND I KNOW WE WILL SEE MORE.
YES, MS. GREGGO, ONE LAST QUESTION.
YEAH, JUST I REMEMBER WHEN, UH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE COMBOS, YOU MENTIONED, UH, THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME FLEXIBILITY WITH THE CURRICULUM, RIGHT? AS A TEACHER, YOU'VE, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOUR KIDS ARE AND HOW YOU CAN ACCOMMODATE AND ADAPT AND, UM, AND STILL GIVE THEM THE GRADE LEVEL CURRICULUM.
SO I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT FLEXIBILITY FOR OUR COMBOS, ANY SUPER COMBOS SO THAT, BECAUSE I THINK THE STRESSORS COME WHEN TEACHERS FEEL THAT THEY HAVE TO TEACH TWO DIFFERENT CURRICULA FOR THE TWO DIFFERENT GRADE LEVELS.
OR THREE DIFFERENT GRADE LEVELS.
AND THAT'S JUST HARD
UM, SO IF WE CAN HAVE SOME, UH, FLEXIBILITY AROUND THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND THEN AROUND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT.
SO YOU MENTIONED 300 SCHOOL-BASED POSITIONS.
ARE ANY OF THOSE, UM, PSW OR, UM, WE, WE HAD A GRANT.
UM, WE HAVE A CENTER WHERE WE DO PARTNER WITH UCLA AND ALSO WITH STUDENT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THAT PIECE.
WE ALSO HAVE A FEW COUNSELORS WHO ALSO TRAIN ALONGSIDE THAT PIECE AT SOME PARTICULAR HIGH SCHOOLS.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT IF, UM, I WONDER IF WE COULD KNOW WHERE THERE, WHERE THERE IS A HIGHER NEED FOR MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT AMONG, YOU KNOW, UM, STUDENTS, UH, IN THE PROGRAM.
UM, JUST BECAUSE I DO KNOW THAT THERE CERTAINLY IS A NEED.
I KNOW I'VE WORKED WITH STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THE PROGRAM, AND THAT IS, UH, BESIDES BELONGING, THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE ASK IS MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT.
CAN I LET YOU KNOW THAT THE DIVISION OF INSTRUCTION IS DOING PHENOMENAL WORK IN THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING SPACE? SO JUST THIS WEEK, UH, WEEKEND, JUSTIN LAUER LED THIS AMAZING SYMPOSIUM AROUND THAT SPACE.
WE PARTNER WITH THEM ON ALL THOSE PACES SPACES.
WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH, UH, STUDENT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND ALANA ANALYZING NEEDS.
'CAUSE I, I WAS GONNA ADD THAT SAMITA, UH, DOES MAKE SURE THAT SHE, WHEN SHE'S LOOKING AT ASSIGNMENTS, THEY DO LOOK AT CERTAIN STUDENT POPULATIONS.
AND SO, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, RECENTLY THERE WAS A SCHOOL THAT IT HAS A HIGH NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL NEWCOMERS.
WE IDENTIFIED A PARTICULAR NEED WITH THE PRINCIPAL AND THE SCHOOL TEAM.
AND THEN SHE REALIGNED RESOURCES WHERE POSSIBLE TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT PERSON TO HAVE A HEALTHY STARTS NAVIGATOR, FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE SCHOOL SAID THEY NEEDED MORE OF.
AND SO THAT'S HOW WE IDENTIFIED THAT SUPPORT IN ADDITION TO THE MAAL COACH THAT WAS GOING TO THE SCHOOL.
SO WE DO DEFINITELY WORK WITH THEM TO IDENTIFY WHERE THOSE NEEDS EXIST.
THEY HAVE THE SAME DATA WE DO.
UM, BUT WE, THEY, THEY ALSO DO A NICE JOB OF TAILORING WHEN WE SEE THAT SOMETHING MORE IS NEEDED, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LARGER NUMBER OF RECENT ARRIVALS.
YOU, AND JUST, I KNOW WE LIVE IN ALL THESE ACRONYMS. UM, THE MALT COACH IS A MULTILINGUAL, MULTICULTURAL, ACCELERATED LEARNING COACH.
SORRY ABOUT OUR ACRONYMS. THANK YOU.
YOU, BUT I, I GUESS THAT MY POINT WAS ABOUT THE PWS, LIKE THAT KIND OF MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT.
I KNOW THE OTHER ONES ARE MORE LIKE A LOWER TIER.
IT'S NOT, IT'S LIKE, WELL, YOU'RE TRYING TO REACH EVERYONE, BUT THERE ARE SOME LEVELS OF NEED THAT MIGHT REQUIRE MORE OF AN INTENSIVE YEAH.
WHY DON'T WE, I'LL WORK WITH, UH, PEDRO AND, AND DR.
OLTRA TO IDENTIFY EXACTLY HOW THEY'RE ALIGNING THAT.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THEY'RE ALSO, I'M JUST SHARING WITH YOU ONE POSITION.
THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT POSITIONS THAT THEY HAVE WITHIN THEIR SCOPE.
THIS SCHOOL IN PARTICULAR WANTED THE HEALTHY STARTS NAVIGATOR FELT LIKE THE OTHER SUPPORTS THEY HAD WERE APPROPRIATE.
WHAT THEY NEEDED WAS MORE OF THE HOUSING, UH, CLOTHING, OTHER AREAS OF NEED.
AND THEY FELT THAT THE HEALTHY START NAVIGATOR WOULD BE A BETTER RESOURCE.
[01:15:01]
OH ONE.AT THE END, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE INTERNATIONAL NEWCOMER COACH, IS THAT AN ACADEMY OR THAT'S JUST INDIVIDUAL COACHES? WE, WE HAVE ACADEMIES, WHICH ARE A NATIONAL PROGRAM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE SPECIFIC COACHES AROUND THAT WORK.
AND DEPENDING ON THE SCHOOL'S NEEDS AND THE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS AND WHAT PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS TELL US THEY NEED, UH, WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH ADMINISTRATORS OF INSTRUCTIONS AND REGIONS TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE ASSIGNMENT OR THE COACH OR THE ACADEMY.
NOW THE ACADEMY IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT, CORRECT? YES.
THE ACADEMIES ARE OPEN BASED ON REQUESTS, STUDENT NEEDS, THE INFORMATION REGIONS ARE GIVING US, AND WE ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND ACADEMIES.
AND HOW MANY ACADEMIES DO WE HAVE RIGHT NOW? 'CAUSE THAT WASN'T MEANT.
WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY, UH, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, UH, THREE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO GROW THEM.
AND IT'S BASED ON THE NEEDS OF THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THAT SCHOOL SITE THAT WOULD PUT A REQUEST OR NO? WELL, UM, IT, THE REQUESTS HAVE COME VARIETY.
COMMUNITY, TEACHERS, FAMILIES, UM, WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT WHEN WE'RE ANALYZING THE DATA IN TERMS OF THE NEED.
AND THEN WE HAVE A YEAR LONG PLANNING PROCESS WITH THEM, BECAUSE IT IS TO, UM, UM, MS. GREGOR'S POINT, IT IS ABOUT THE INTENTIONALITY AROUND THAT WORK AS IT SUPPORTS A THROUGH G ACCESS, GRADUATION CAREER AND VOCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
THANK YOU TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR YOUR, UH, GREAT QUESTIONS.
AND ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU, MS. LEEZA STEVENS, FOR YOUR REVEALING PRESENTATION ABOUT THIS MASTER PLAN AND FOR YOUR ONGOING WORK ON EQUITY, INTERSECTIONALITY, UH, GROWTH AND SUSTAINABILITY OF ALL THIS WORK.
AND EVERY INVESTMENT WE MAKE WAS JUST NOT MONETARY, BUT ALSO PEOPLE, PERSONNEL, UM, PRACTICES, PROGRAMS, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AS WELL.
EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS INTENTIONAL AND ALSO EXTEND A THANK YOU TO YOUR TEAM FOR ALL OF THIS WORK.
SO I KNOW YOU CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT THIS, THEIR EXPERTISE AND THEIR OWN DEDICATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU DO AND MAKING THIS MASTER PLAN A REALITY.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FINAL, FINAL, UM, MASTER PLAN IN JUNE.
AND ALSO THANK YOU TO ALL THE 1300, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, INPUT THAT CAME FROM EVERYONE THAT YOU COLLABORATED WITH.
YOU KNOW, ALSO, AGAIN, WE CAN'T, THIS PLAN CANNOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THEIR INPUT AND FEEDBACK, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SERVE A COMMUNITY.
[III.2. Implications of the Governor’s May Revise for Budget Deliberation ]
WILL MOVE ON TO OUR SECOND PRESENTATION LED BY DR. ANDREW THOMAS, DIRECTOR OF THE INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS UNIT.DR. THOMAS AND THE INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS UNIT SERVE AS AN INDEPENDENT SUPPORT SYSTEM SOLELY FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND WORK WITHIN THE BOARD.
AND THEY WORK WITHIN THE BOARD SECRETARY'S OFFICE THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS.
WE TYPICALLY HEAR FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE AND OUR DEDICATED BUDGET AND FINANCE TEAM, BUT WE ALSO HEAR FROM EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS THAT PROVIDE VULNER VALUABLE PERSPECTIVES FROM THE STATE, FEDERAL, AND FEDERAL LEVEL, AND OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS WELL.
WE HOPE THAT TODAY'S PRESENTATION PROVIDES HELPFUL CONTEXT FOR BOARD MEMBERS, UM, AND ALSO PUT FOR THE PUBLIC AS THEY FOLLOW THE BUDGET PROCESS.
THIS PRESENTATION WILL EXPLORE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE GOVERNOR'S MAY REVISE FOR THE DISTRICT BUDGET DELIBERATIONS, WITH A FOCUS ON BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL DEVELOPMENTS SHAPING THE DISTRICT'S FISCAL OUTLOOK.
DR. THOMAS WILL WALK US THROUGH KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MAY REVISE, INCLUDING REDUCED PROPOSITION 98 FUNDING, ONGOING ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY, AND POTENTIAL FEDERAL CUTS TO CRITICAL PROGRAMS LIKE TITLE ONE, MEDICAID.
AND IT'LL ALSO OFFER STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE BOARD, INCLUDING THE IMPORTANCE OF A THOUGHTFUL, COLLABORATIVE BUDGET PROCESS, ESPECIALLY IN DIFFICULT TIMES WHEN WE NEED WORK TOGETHER, WHEN WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO FIND CREATIVE AND EQUITABLE SOLUTIONS.
SO, DR. THOMAS, YOUR THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
VICE PRESIDENT REVA, MEMBERS OF THE BOARDS OF, UH, BOARD OF EDUCATION, STAFF, LISTENING, PUBLIC, ANYBODY WHO'S, WHO'S HERE.
UM, THAT WAS A GREAT INTRODUCTION.
I, YOU PRETTY MUCH GAVE MY PRESENTATION.
SO
SO I, I'M GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THE MAY REVISION.
IT'S SOMETHING YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT QUITE A BIT ALREADY LAST WEEK WHEN IT, UH, WAS RELEASED BY THE GOVERNOR.
AND THEN YESTERDAY THERE WAS A, THERE WAS
[01:20:01]
A SESSION, UH, WHERE SCHOOL SERVICES OF CALIFORNIA SPOKE ABOUT IT, AND THE, AND THE BUDGET TEAM SPOKE ABOUT IT.UM, SO I'M GONNA BE OFFERING KIND OF AN ALTERNATIVE VOICE, BUT A LOT OF IT IS, OR, OR, OR PERSPECTIVE, BUT A LOT OF IT IS A, A REPEAT AND TRYING TO CLARIFY AND, AND GIVE THE BOARD, UH, A WAY TO DIGEST ALL THIS INFORMATION, WHICH SEEMS KIND OF LIKE DOOM AND GLOOM.
SO I'M GONNA TRY TO GIVE YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME INSIGHTS ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THIS, WITH ALL THIS INFORMATION.
SO IF WE'RE REPEATING IT AND GIVING IT MORE AIRTIME, I THINK THAT THAT'S, UH, THAT'S VALUABLE, BECAUSE IT'LL GIVE US A CHANCE TO, TO TALK ABOUT IT MORE.
UH, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT THE MISSION OF THE INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS UNIT IS TO PROVIDE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION WITH TIMELY INDEPENDENT INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS TO SUPPORT INFORMED POLICY MAKING, FISCAL OVERSIGHT, WHICH I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT.
AND I, I THINK ONE OF THE IMPORTANCE ABOUT, UH, OF BEING INDEPENDENT IS THAT THE PUBLIC CAN, CAN SEE THAT THE BOARD IS GETTING INFORMATION FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES, TAKING A LOT OF THINGS INTO ACCOUNT, AND THEN MAKING INFORMED DECISIONS BASED ON, BASED ON THAT.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE VALUE THAT WE, UM, THAT WE BRING IN THE INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS UNIT.
I'M GONNA TALK, UH, FIRST ABOUT THE KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GOVERNOR'S MAYOR REVISION.
AND THEN I'M GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT TWO BIG ISSUES.
AND THIS IS GONNA KIND OF BE THE, THE BEAN OF THE PRESENTATION, BIG ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THAT, UH, YOU MIGHT LABEL AS DOOM AND GLOOM, BUT, UM,
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING, UH, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE STATE EDUCATION FUNDING AND THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL AND THE MAY REVISION, AND THEN STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE BOARD, AND KIND OF HOW TO, TO MOVE FORWARD.
I DO WANNA CALL OUT AS, AS, UH, AS BOTH I'VE JUST SAID.
AND YOU SAID A MOMENT AGO, DR. RIVAS, UM, THERE HAS BEEN INFORMATION ABOUT THE MAY REVISION THAT'S ALREADY COME TO YOU.
THERE WAS A LONG BULLETED LIST FROM THE, FROM THE BUDGET TEAM YESTERDAY.
THERE WAS A VERY INFORMATIVE, UM, LONG MEMO FROM, UH, THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT, THE OFFICE OF, UH, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS LAST WEEK, VERY DETAILED AND INFORMATIVE.
AND THEN THE MEMO THAT I WROTE AS WELL.
AND THEN THERE'S THE SCHOOL SERVICES OF CALIFORNIA THAT CAME YESTERDAY.
THERE, THERE, THERE'S A WHOLE, UH, WEBINAR THEY'RE DOING TOMORROW MORNING ABOUT THIS.
CASBO DID A WEBINAR, UH, THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION DID A WEBINAR AND, AND, UM, A POST ABOUT IT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION OUT THERE, AND I'M, I'M LIKE STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF ALL THIS
BUT LET'S LOOK AT THE KEY HIGHLIGHTS.
AND THIS IS KIND OF STUFF YOU'VE SEEN, UH, BEFORE, BUT I, I WANNA TALK ABOUT GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF FOCUS, OR IT'S EASY TO FOCUS ON THE BAD NEWS.
I'M GONNA START WITH THE GOOD NEWS.
IT'S PRESENTED AS A SCALE HERE.
AND THE, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THE NOT OPTIMISTIC PART IS A LITTLE
BUT LET'S START WITH, UH, WITH, UH, GOOD NEWS, WHICH IS THAT THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSING THAT THE EDUCATION BUDGET IS PRESERVED FROM JANUARY.
SO THERE'S SOME CHANGES, SOME SHIFTS, BUT WE HAVE A PRESERVED BUDGET.
WE HAVE A SLIGHTLY LOWER COLA COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, 2.3% INSTEAD OF 2.43% AS IT WAS PRESENTED IN JANUARY.
THERE'S A HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS IN THE STATE COFFERS FOR CASH ON HAND.
UM, THE REVENUE FOR 2025 IS HIGH.
IT'S 20% HIGHER THAN IT WAS PROJECTED.
SO THE POINT IS THAT RIGHT NOW, THE BUDGET LOOKS GOOD.
AND LOOKING INTO THE JUNE APPROVAL OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET, IT'S STRONG.
WE'RE GETTING WHAT WE NEED FROM THE STATE, AND WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE DONE BEFORE.
SO THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE REALLY GOOD NEWS.
NOW, THE FORECAST IS NOT OPTIMISTIC, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT.
SO WHEN YOU HEAR ALL THE DOOM AND GLOOM STUFF, IT'S REALLY PREDICTING THE FUTURE.
IT'S SAYING, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT HAPPENING.
SO RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN A GOOD POSITION, AND THE CURRENT BUDGET FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT GOING INTO 26, 25, 26 IS STRONG.
AND THE FISCAL POSITION IS STRONG.
IT'S GOING FORWARD THAT WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT.
SO THAT'S THE KIND OF THING YOU CAN THINK ABOUT TELLING CONSTITUENTS, OR JUST THINKING YOURSELF ABOUT, ABOUT THE, UH, FUTURE.
AND HERE'S WHAT WE CAN BE CONCERNED ABOUT.
HERE'S OUR SLIDE ABOUT, UH, WHY WE'RE WORRIED, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, UH, THE BAD NEWS, I, YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH THE, WITH THE THREE BIG TAXES, THE PERSONAL INCOME TAXES, SALES TAX, THE CORPORATE TAX TAX, AND THEN ALL OF THIS COMBINED TOGETHER CREATES A RECESSION RISK.
SO THIS IS REALLY, THIS IS A MAIN ISSUE.
WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE MACRO ECONOMIC TRENDS IN THE ECONOMY.
SO THE GOVERNOR IN JANUARY SAID THAT THERE WAS NO BUDGET PROBLEM, THERE WAS NO DEFICIT IN MAY, THERE IS A BUDGET PROBLEM, AND THAT BUDGET PROBLEM COMES FROM PROJECTED LOWER REVENUES, AND THEY NOTICE THAT THEY'RE SPENDING A LOT MORE ON MEDI-CAL.
ALTOGETHER, IT MAKES $12 BILLION OF A BUDGET PROBLEM.
UH, BUT THE REVENUE SIDE, AND THE, AND I WANT DO WANNA
[01:25:01]
STRESS THE GOVERNOR IN HIS PRESENTATION LAST WEDNESDAY, SAID, WE HAVE A SPENDING PROBLEM.AND HE USED THE TERM STRUCTURAL DEFICIT.
SO HE'S REALLY IDENTIFIED A SPENDING PROBLEM.
BUT THEN HE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THE TARIFFS AND THE FEDERAL, UH, THE FEDERAL POLICIES THAT ARE AFFECTING THE CALIFORNIA ECONOMY.
SO I WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT FOR A SECOND.
SO, AND IT AFFECTS THE, THE BIG, THE THREE BIG SALES, THE, THE THREE BIG TAXES THAT DRIVE REVENUE.
SO THOSE, UH, THOSE REVENUE SOURCES ARE DRIVEN BY THE MACROECONOMIC FORCES OF INFLATION, UNEMPLOYMENT, THE STOCK MARKET, CONSUMER CONFIDENCE, AND, AND REALLY ALL RELATED TO THAT IS TARIFFS.
AND ALL OF IT COMBINES TO CREATE A RECESSION RISK.
BUT SO INFLATION, UM, IS DRIVEN BY TARIFFS.
SO OUR INFLATION WAS KIND OF UNDER CONTROL.
IT'S 2.3% LOWER THAN IT HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY.
WE'RE WORRIED THAT IT'S GONNA GO UP TO 3.8%, AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF TARIFFS.
THAT'S THE WHOLE REASON FOR THAT.
OTHER THAN THAT, THE UNDERLYING ECONOMY LOOKS GOOD.
INFLATION MAY MEAN THAT WE GET HIGHER SALES TAXES, BECAUSE MORE MONEY, PEOPLE ARE SPENDING MORE MONEY.
ON THE OTHER HAND, PEOPLE DON'T WANNA SPEND MORE MONEY, SO THEY MIGHT SPEND LESS.
SO THE SALES TAX PROJECTION IS, IS A HALF A PERCENT OF GOING UP.
BUT THAT'S THE ONLY POSITIVE PROJECTION BECAUSE TARIFFS WILL ALSO, UH, DEPRESS THE ECONOMY, WHICH WILL LOWER THE PERSONAL INCOME TAX AND THE CORPORATE TAX.
SO THAT'S THE, THOSE ARE THE BIG RISKS.
UH, UNEMPLOYMENT IS NOT TERRIBLE, UM, BUT IT'S EXPECTED TO, TO GO UP A LITTLE BIT.
AND IT REPRESENTS KIND OF A STAGNANT LEVEL OF EMPLOYMENT.
UM, AFTER, AFTER THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE ADDING 20,000, 30,000 JOBS TO THE ECONOMY EVERY MONTH, PROJECTED, GOING FORWARD, IT'S MAYBE 2000, 3000, 3000 TO 6,000, I THINK JOBS A MONTH.
SO THE CALIFORNIA ECONOMY'S NOT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GOING FORWARD, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY HUMMING AND INFLATION'S GONNA EDGE UP.
UH, CONSUMER CONFIDENCE IS VERY LOW.
UM, IT'S HISTORICALLY BEEN AS HIGH AS 98 IN CALIFORNIA, IT'S AS LOW AS 76.3 RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS HISTORIC LOW, WHICH MEANS SPENDING MIGHT BE DOWN.
UM, AND, AND THEN THERE, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, OVERALL, ALL OF THIS COMBINES TO CREATE A RISK OF A RECESSION.
AND IT DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK.
THERE ARE THESE BETTING MARKETS ON RECESSIONS, LIKE POLY MARKET, AND THEY'RE BETTING THAT SEVEN, THERE'S A 70% CHANCE OF A RECESSION.
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, THE FEDERAL RESERVE IN NEW YORK HAS A MODEL THAT SAYS THERE'S ONLY 29% CHANCE OF A RECESSION.
BUT ALL THIS STUFF IS LIKE, SO BASICALLY PEOPLE ARE REALLY WORRIED REVENUES ARE GONNA GO DOWN, THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A RECESSION THAT'LL BRING REVENUES DOWN EVEN MORE, AND THAT WILL HAVE LESS MONEY IN THE STATE COFFERS.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT IN 26, 27.
RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE PLENTY OF MONEY IN THE BANK, AND IT LOOKS GOOD, CROSS OUR FINGERS, BUT THE, THE, THE FEDERAL POLICY, IT IS DRIVING THE ECONOMY IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
THAT'S THE POINT THAT THE GOVERNOR'S TRIED TO MAKE.
SO LET'S MOVE ON TO SOME FEDERAL POLICY CHANGES.
NOW, THESE ARE SPECIFIC TO EDUCATION, AND THIS IS ANOTHER RISK.
THIS STUFF WAS NOT REALLY IN THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET, BUT IT WAS BROUGHT UP YESTERDAY AT THE, AT THE BUDGET MEETING.
AND AGAIN, I'LL START WITH THE GOOD NEWS AND THEN THE BAD NEWS.
THE GOOD NEWS IS, CURRENTLY WE DON'T HAVE ANY MAJOR CUTS AND THAT THERE'S STABLE FUNDING.
SO CURRENTLY TITLE ONE HASN'T BEEN CUT, IDEA HASN'T BEEN CUT, IMPACT AID HASN'T BEEN CUT.
UH, OTHER THINGS HAVE BEEN FLAT FUNDED.
THERE WAS A CONTINUING RESOLUTION IN JANUARY PASSED IN CONGRESS THAT KEPT EVERYTHING AT THE SAME FUNDING LEVEL FOR THE, FOR THIS YEAR.
SO EVERYTHING IS STILL THE SAME.
NOW, AS THE SUPERINTENDENT POINTED OUT LAST WEEK, THERE ARE A LOT OF CH UH, OF CUTS ON THE MARGINS TO PROGRAMS. HE LISTED A, A 6 MILLION FOR MENTAL HEALTH CAREER PATHWAY GRANT, 10 MILLION FOR LOCAL FOOD, FOR SCHOOLS, STATEWIDE TEACHER TRAINING GRANTS, AND SO ON.
AND THOSE HAVE ALREADY BEEN CUT.
UM, AND SO WE ALREADY KNOW THAT WE'RE LOSING SOME MONEY IN THOSE AREAS.
UM, AND THEN, SO MOVING INTO THE MORE OF THE UNFORTUNATE NEWS, THE LESS HAPPY NEWS ARE THE PROPOSALS FOR THE BUDGET THAT ARE BEFORE CONGRESS NOW.
SO THE, THE, THE, THE FEDERAL BUDGET FOR 26, UH, FOR 25, 26, UM, SOME MAJOR, UH, SOME MAJOR CUTS ARE PROPOSED.
UM, TRUMP HAS ASKED CONGRESS TO CUT TITLE ONE BY 25%.
HE PROPOSES CUTS TO FULL SERVICE, COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, GRANTS.
AND THEN THIS IS WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE MOST.
UH, THE PROPOSAL FROM THE PRESIDENT IS CONSOLIDATING PROGRAMS INTO BLOCK GRANTS.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT.
SO, LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, SIX DIFFERENT PROGRAMS ARE COMBINED, UH, UNDER SPECIAL EDUCATION INTO ONE BLOCK.
BLOCK GRANT IS, BLOCK GRANTS ARE NOT SOMETHING RECOMMENDED BY POLICY MAKERS.
THERE'S LESS ACCOUNTABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH BLOCK GRANTS, AND USUALLY THERE'S LESS MONEY.
BUT THE BIG UNDERLYING, UM, MOTIVATION FOR BLOCK GRANTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS TO GIVE, GIVE STATES DISCRETION OVER HOW TO SPEND THIS MONEY.
AND A NUMBER OF STATES WANT TO SPEND THIS MONEY ON PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMPLETELY.
[01:30:01]
PROCESS IS SOMETHING, IS A BIG RISK IN THE FEDERAL BUDGET.AND THEN THERE ARE, THERE ARE ALSO SPECIFIC PROPOSALS TO FUND VOUCHERS, TO FUND VOUCHERS IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO, UH, REMOVE OR, UM, DISMANTLE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, WHICH BENEFITS US IN, IN MANY, MANY WAYS.
UM, AND THEN THERE ARE SOME OTHER SPECIFIC THINGS.
SOME OF THEM WERE IN THE OFFICE OF, UM, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS MEMO THAT WENT OUT LAST WEEK THAT ARE REALLY WORTH WATCHING.
WE'RE VERY WORRIED ABOUT, UH, SNAP CUTS, THAT'S, UH, FOOD ASSISTANCE, UM, PELL GRANT CUTS THAT MAKE IT HARDER FOR LOW INCOME STUDENTS TO ATTEND COLLEGE.
AND THEN, UM, SOMETHING THAT THAT COULD AFFECT US DIRECTLY IN, IN THE SHORT RUN ARE ENERGY TAX CREDITS, UH, WHICH, WHICH MAKE IT MORE EXPENSIVE TO PUT SOLAR ON ROOFTOPS AND TO BUILD OUR, OUR EV CHARGING STATIONS.
SO ALL THAT'S THE, UNFORTUNATELY, THE BAD NEWS ISSUE NUMBER TWO FROM THE FEDERAL POLICY.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S STUFF WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT.
IT'S GONNA BE DEBATED IN CONGRESS, AND IT'S NOT REALITY YET.
SO LET ME TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT STATE, UH, TK TO 12 FUNDING PRESSURES.
UM, THIS IS STUFF THAT YOU'VE HEARD BEFORE, YOU'RE PROBABLY PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THE KEY FACTS.
UM, THE PROPOSITION 98 GUARANTEE IS DOWN ABOUT 4 BILLION, BETWEEN FOUR AND 5 BILLION FROM JANUARY.
WE HAVE A RAINY DAY FUND, A PROPOSITION 98 RAINY DAY FUND IN THE STATE.
WE'RE ZEROING THAT OUT, MEANING WE'RE SPENDING IT NOW.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE AVAILABLE IN THE FUTURE.
AS YOU KNOW, THE COLA IS 2.3%, AND WE'RE USING A FEW CASH DEFERRALS TO FIX THE BUDGET PROBLEM, WHICH MEANS THAT, THAT SOME MONEY, UM, THAT WOULD BE IN THE 26 BUDGET IS LIKE ROLLED OVER INTO THE 27 BUDGET BECAUSE IT MAKES MORE SENSE TO SPEND IT IN 27, BUT ONLY BY ONE MONTH.
INSTEAD OF GETTING THE ALLOCATION IN IN JUNE, WE'LL BE GETTING IT IN JULY.
SO IT COULD BE A CASHFLOW PROBLEM.
WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION AT THE TIME.
UM, BUT ALL OF THOSE THINGS FIX THE BUDGET.
SO EVEN THOUGH PROPOSITION 98 GUARANTEE IS DOWN, AND THE COLA IS DOWN A LITTLE BIT, WE'RE STILL PAYING FOR EVERYTHING BY, BY MOVING MONEY AROUND THIS WAY.
UH, I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE, UH, PROPOSALS THAT MIGHT AFFECT US, UH, A REALLY GOOD ONE.
SO THERE'S SOME TARGETED SUPPORTS.
THE ONE I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS UNIVERSAL MEALS.
I THINK IT WAS $91 MILLION FULLY FUNDED.
VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS CUTTING, UH, SUPPORT FOR MEALS.
SO IN CALIFORNIA, THE MEALS ARE FUNDED BY THE, ARE GOING TO BE FUNDED BY THE STATE FOR THE, IN, FOR THE CURRENT BUDGET WINDOW, FOR THE COMING BUDGET WINDOW.
UM, AND THEN THERE ARE ONE TIME FUNDS THAT PAY FOR 12 SPECIAL PROGRAMS. AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT THOSE PROGRAMS ARE.
I THINK THEY WERE LISTED, THEY WERE LISTED IN A NUMBER OF SOURCES.
BUT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, TEACHER TRAINING, GRANTS, LITERACY, UM, SUPPORT, UM, THAT ARE FUNDED IN THIS BUDGET COMING UP.
UM, UNIVERSAL TK IS DOWN, THIS CAME UP YESTERDAY AS WELL, UH, BY A LITTLE BIT, UH, BY LITTLE BIT.
IT, IT'S REALLY FACILITY FUNDING THAT'S GONE DOWN AND TEACHER HIRING IN IN TK, UH, WHICH MIGHT AFFECT US.
WE CAN, WE CAN FIGURE THAT OUT, DISCUSS THAT ELAP FUNDING IS UP, BUT IT WON'T REALLY AFFECT US.
I DID WANT TO TALK ABOUT AB 6 0 2, UM, WHICH IS THE, UH, SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING THAT'S GONE UP BY THE COLA 2.3%.
I THINK THE, UM, THE FUNDING RATE IS $917 A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE MEDICAL CAL CUTS ARE COMING FROM THE GOVERNOR.
AND, UH, THE EFFECT OF THEM WILL BE UNCERTAIN.
I MEAN, IT IS UNCERTAIN HOW IT WILL AFFECT OUR STUDENTS, EXCEPT THAT WE DO KNOW THAT 51% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE ON MEDI-CAL.
UM, SO I'LL JUST, UH, EMPHASIZE THE, THE IMPLICATIONS FOR L-A-U-S-D.
AND, AND WE DON'T, THIS IS STILL EARLY.
I DO WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, IT'S REALLY HARD TO KNOW.
A LOT OF PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED, BUT THE, THESE ADJUSTMENTS MIGHT AFFECT US IN SOME WAYS.
WE WON'T REALLY KNOW, UH, UNTIL MORE DETAILS COME IN THE COMING WEEK.
AND I, AND I ALSO WANNA MENTION OR EMPHASIZE THAT, UH, THE LEGISLATURE MAY NOT ACCEPT ALL THESE PROPOSALS.
SO WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT AS WELL.
THEY MAY DECIDE, FOR INSTANCE, TO FULLY FUND TK, UNIVERSAL TK AND, BUT TAKE SOME MONEY AWAY FROM ONE OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS. THEY COULD, THEY COULD MAKE THAT DECISION.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO KEEP OUR EYES ON.
THE REASON THAT UNIVERSAL TK, UH, UH, FUNDS MAY AFFECT US IS THAT THERE IS LESS SUPPORT FOR TEACHER RECRUITMENT.
UM, AND WE DO NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE MEET THE RATIO OF 10 STUDENTS FOR ONE TEACHER.
AND THAT MAY BE SOMETHING WE'RE DOING, I'M JUST NOT SURE ABOUT IT.
WE CAN, WE CAN, WE CAN CHECK INTO IT.
I'M WORRIED ABOUT LAD'S CROSS SUBSIDY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION.
THE SPECIAL EDUCATION REIMBURSEMENT RATE IS, HAS GONE UP A LITTLE BIT, BUT THE FEDERAL MONEY IS, IS GOING, PROBABLY GOING DOWN.
AND, UM, WE NEVER HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO, TO, TO PAY FOR A SPECIAL EDUCATION.
SO, AND WE PAY FOR IT USUALLY OUTTA THE GENERAL FUND OR GENERAL EDUCATION BUDGET.
SO, UH, WE MAY HAVE TO DO THAT MORE THAN WE USED TO.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE MEDICAID AND MEDI-CAL UNCERTAINTY.
[01:35:01]
THIS IS A, A BIGGER, UH, TOPIC, BUT WHEN MEDICAID, UM, SPENDING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL GOES DOWN, THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF FOLLOW ON EFFECTS, UH, TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND TO THE HEALTH OF STUDENTS.AND WE DO DO WANNA REMEMBER THAT HEALTHY STUDENTS ARE STUDENTS WHO COME TO TO SCHOOL.
AND THE BIGGEST DRIVER OF CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM IS, ARE HEALTH ISSUES.
AND SO MEDICAID COULD NOT ONLY COST MORE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PROVIDE SERVICES, BUT IT COULD, IT COULD LEAD TO MORE ATTENDANCE PROBLEMS, WHICH REDUCES REVENUE.
SO THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF EFFECTS THAT CAN COME FROM MEDICAID CUTS.
AND THEN I JUST WANNA TALK ABOUT THE STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE BOARD.
SO I'VE JUST LISTED FIVE HERE, UM, THAT I THINK WILL BE USEFUL.
THESE ARE THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND AS YOU APPROVE OR REVIEW THE BUDGET.
SO ONE THING IS THAT IT WAS, IS WHAT I'M CALLING REVENUE VOLATILITY.
AND JUST TO BE AWARE THAT WE HAVE MONEY NOW, WE DON'T THINK WE WILL.
NEXT YEAR,
WE'RE REALLY WORRIED THAT REVENUES WILL BE DOWN.
UM, AND SO IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, UM, PRUDENCE IS CALLED FOR FISCAL PRUDENCE RESERVES TO BE PRESERVED NEW, NEW PROGRAMS IN THE, IN, IN THEIR DESCRIPTION OR THEIR DISCUSSION OF THE MAY REVISE.
THE LAO SAID, WE WOULDN'T HAVE A BUDGET PROGRAM IF WE DIDN'T HAVE NEW PROGRAMS. THE, THE GOVERNOR WANTS A BUNCH OF NEW PROGRAMS, UH, AND THE LEGISLATURE SUPPORTS THAT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING TO, TO KEEP IN MIND IN A TIME OF, OF FISCAL, UM, CONSTRAINT IS, YOU KNOW, IS THIS THE RIGHT TIME TO START SOMETHING NEW? MAYBE NOT.
UM, I WANT TO DO, I WANT TO, UH, MENTION OR, UH, ELEVATE THE FACT THAT FEDERAL CUTS ARE POSSIBLE.
LIKE I, LIKE I SAID A MOMENT AGO, UM, THE FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR STARTS IN OCTOBER.
WE GET ROLLING ALLOCATIONS FROM A NUMBER OF THESE ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMS. WE COULD ACTUALLY LOSE OUR ALLOCATIONS DURING THE YEAR.
AND SO IF WE, WE HAVE A REGULAR BUDGET, UM, WHERE EVERYTHING IS FULLY FUNDED IN FISCAL YEAR, UM, 20, 25, 26, WE COULD ACTUALLY LOSE MONEY DURING THE YEAR AS A RESULT OF FEDERAL ACTIONS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO, TO KEEP IN MIND, AND A REASON TO KEEP THE RESERVES BIG RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE EXPECT A DEEPER, DEEPER EFFECTS LIKELY IN 26, 27.
AND YOU SAW THAT YESTERDAY IN THE BUDGET WORKSHOP AND THE BUDGET PRESENTATION.
WE EXPECT THERE TO BE A, UH, A REAL BUDGET PROBLEM IN 26, 27, AND DEFINITELY IN 27, 28, THE DISTRICT DOES COSTS, UH, ARE ALWAYS SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE ON.
AND, UM, THE DECLINING ENROLLMENT IS AN ONGOING ISSUE THAT YOU'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT.
THAT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND.
I, I, I JUST
AND SO WE NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON, ON THAT.
I GUESS I, I WANT TO JUST END WITH THE WAY THE SUPERINTENDENT ENDED YESTERDAY.
THE THREATS ARE, ARE REALLY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL RIGHT NOW AND, UM, AFFECTING THE STATE ECONOMY.
UM, AND, UH, WE HAVE, BUT, BUT BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION WE'RE IN NOW, AND BECAUSE OF THE GOVERNOR'S, UH, APPROACH TO MAKING THE STATE'S BUDGET ROBUST AND, AND SOUND FISCALLY SOUND IN THE STATE, WE HAVE SOME BREATHING ROOM.
AND SO THE COMING YEAR IS REALLY THE YEAR.
IT'S A YEAR FOR, UM, FOR COLLABORATION, FOR DISCUSSION, FOR CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING.
UM, AND, UH, AND WE CAN REALLY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF, YOU KNOW, STARTING IN, IN SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER NEXT YEAR, PLANNING FOR EXACTLY THE KIND OF BUDGET THAT THE BOARD WANTS AND, UH, AND, UH, CONSTITUENTS WOULD LIKE AS WELL.
AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION.
YES, THANK YOU DR. THOMAS, UM, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND GIVING US, YOU KNOW, FURTHER FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
UM, SO I WANNA OPEN UP TO ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY OTHER DISCUSSION AREAS THAT YOU ALL MAY WANNA PONDER
SO, UM, DR. THOMAS, BASED ON YOUR ANALYSIS AND YOU, YOU MENTIONED SOME AREAS HERE, UM, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE MOST IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY FROM THE MAY REVISE THAT THE BOARD SHOULD KEEP UPFRONT AND MIND AS WE PREPARE FOR THE UPCOMING BUDGET DECISION? YOU MENTIONED WE ARE OKAY NOW, BUT IN THE FUTURE, NOT SO MUCH IN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, FOR 26, 27, BUT OVERALL, WHAT IS THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU, SHOULD WE, YOU KNOW, KEEP IN MIND,
[01:40:01]
I, I THINK, UM, UH, AND I'M NOT SURE I EMPHASIZE THIS TOO MUCH IN WHAT I JUST SAID, BUT THE, THE GOVERNOR IS TAKING A, AN APPROACH, UM, THAT PUTS THE STATE BUDGET ON A SOLID FISCAL FOOTING.SO HE'S TRYING TO, UH, YOU KNOW, SPEND DOWN SOME RESERVES THAT ARE REQUIRED TO SPEND DOWN, BUT ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO OTHER RESERVES.
UM, SPEND ONE TIME MONEY ON PROGRAMS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, MIGHT, OR, OR THAT, OR THAT ARE SHORT TERM PROGRAMS LIKE TEACHER RECRUITMENT THAT WOULD BENEFIT TEACHERS NOW.
AND IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE IT NEXT YEAR, IT WOULDN'T BE THE END OF THE WORLD.
UM, SO, SO THAT KIND OF APPROACH, I THINK IS A MAJOR TAKEAWAY.
AND THEN A, UM, ANOTHER MAJOR TAKEAWAY IS JUST THE EFFECT OF, OF SOCIAL PROGRAMS, UH, CUTS IN SOCIAL PROGRAMS AND THE, AND SPENDING IN SOCIAL PROGRAMS AND HOW THAT AFFECTS, THAT WILL AFFECT SCHOOLS, IT WILL AFFECT THE ENTIRE STATE.
SO THE, IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING, THE, THE, UM, I REALLY EMPHASIZE THE REVENUE, UM, THREATS THAT, THE, OR RISKS THAT THE, THAT THE GOVERNOR BROUGHT UP.
BUT HE ALSO REALLY IDENTIFIED MEDI-CAL SPENDING THE GROWTH IN MEDI-CAL SPENDING AS A, AS, AS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL.
AND, UM, AND, AND AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT, I THINK WE, UH, UH, O OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE ALSO SEEN A GROWTH IN THAT KIND OF SPENDING OR THAT KIND OF EMPHASIS, LET'S SAY.
UM, AND SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY SOMETHING TO, TO THINK ABOUT MORE DEEPLY, KEEP AN EYE ON.
SO THAT'S KIND OF MY, UM, MY NEXT QUESTION.
HOW SHOULD WE BE THINKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHORT-TERM ADJUSTMENTS AND LONG-TERM STRUCTURAL RISKS IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE? YEAH, THAT'S ANOTHER THING.
I THINK, UM, SOUND FISCAL FOOTING, WE SHOULD MAKE DECISIONS.
I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD
AND SO IT'S GOOD TO HAVE RESERVES.
UM, IT'S GOOD TO THINK ABOUT PROGRAMS, HOW LONG THEY'RE GONNA COST IN THE FUTURE.
IT'S GOOD TO, TO, TO, TO EXERCISE FISCAL OVERSIGHT AND TO REALLY, UM, AND THIS IS THE SUPERINTENDENT TALKED ABOUT IT YESTERDAY AS WELL, TO TALK ABOUT THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND AS DISPASSIONATELY AS POSSIBLE, ARE THESE PROGRAMS, UH, ACHIEVING THEIR INTENDED AIMS FOR THE COST FOR WHAT WE'RE SPENDING? UM, IF, IF WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY AND THEY'RE NOT MAYBE WORKING THAT WELL, I MEAN, THEN WE, THEN WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT TIGHTENING THOSE PROGRAMS UP OR MOVING RESOURCES TO ANOTHER PLACE.
BUT, UM, BUT SINCE WE, SINCE WE'RE, WE'RE STABLE RIGHT NOW, WE SHOULD USE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE THE STABILITY GOING FORWARD.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY TERM, SHORT TERM.
YOU MENTIONED THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATION AND CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING IN UNCERTAIN TIMES.
FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, HOW CAN THE BOARD BETTER STRUCTURE ITS DELIBERATIONS TO STAY STRATEGIC AND RESPONSIVE? THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN SUCH AN ONGOING THING.
UH, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THE BOARD, UM, PARTICIPATE MORE IN THE BUDGET MAKING PROCESS AND GIVEN, GIVEN THE, THE, THE STRUCTURAL WAY THAT BUDGETS ARE DONE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ALLOCATIONS ARE GIVEN TO SCHOOLS.
THEY, THEY BUBBLE UP TO THE TOP.
THEY'RE LIKE GUIDELINES AND POLICIES, BUT IT'S HARD TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT FEEL LIKE REALLY TANGIBLE DECISIONS FROM THE, FROM THE HORSESHOE HERE.
AND, AND, UM, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF REALLY BIG IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WAY THAT THE, UH, STAFF IN THE DISTRICT HAS PRESENTED INFORMATION TO THE BOARD AND GIVEN THE BOARD MORE OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, BUT THERE ARE, I THINK THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL WAYS.
I WAS, I WAS, UM, NOTICING THAT IN PASADENA THEY HAVE SOMETHING CALLED THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH IS A, UM, WHICH IS AN AD HOC COMMITTEE, AND IT'S GOT BOARD MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND EXPERTS ON IT.
AND THEY MEET A FEW TIMES DURING THE YEAR TO FORMULATE A BUDGET.
AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF AN INTERESTING IDEA.
THEY, THEY DO THE SAME THING AT BERKELEY UNIFIED.
THESE ARE MUCH SMALLER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BUT PASADENA RIGHT NOW IS FACING SOME MAJOR BUDGET CONSTRAINTS AND PROBLEMS, AND THEY'RE USING THIS AS A WAY TO GET BUY-IN.
UM, AND SO SOME KIND OF AD HOC COMMITTEE, I DO THINK, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, I I THINK THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS, BUT HAVING SOME KIND OF BUDGET GUIDELINES OR, OR A DECISION MAKING PROCESS AS EARLY AS OCTOBER FOR NEXT.
SO BASICALLY WE COME BACK FROM SUMMER, SUMMER BREAK, WE HAVE A MEETING OR TWO.
AND IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER, WE HAVE A, A BUDGET MEETING FOR 27.
UM, UH, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT THERE'S, THAT IT'S GONNA BE A FISCAL
[01:45:01]
STABILIZATION PLAN IN THIS BUDGET, AND THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT A BUDGET PROBLEM GOING FORWARD.SO, UH, I WOULD SERIOUSLY LOOK AT, AT, AT A SPECIALIZED COMMITTEE THAT STARTS TO LOOK AT THE BUDGET IN OCTOBER AND THEN MOVES FORWARD, UM, TO, UH, LIKE A PROPOSED BUDGET IN JANUARY, KIND OF THE WAY THE GOVERNOR DOES IT, OR A RECOMMENDED BUDGET.
AND, AND THEN, UH, THERE'S SOME TIME IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH FOR COMMUNITY INPUT AND REALLY DISCUSSING THINGS.
I MEAN, THERE WAS A, UM, I COULD GO ON LIKE THIS FOR A WHILE, BUT
THAT'S THE KIND OF THING WHERE YOU MIGHT SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I DON'T WANT TO SPEND $60 MILLION HERE.
WHAT ABOUT THIS OTHER PROGRAM? OR WHAT IF WE SPLIT IT AND WE SPENT 30 HERE AND 30 THERE? OR, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S THAT KIND OF CONVERSATION THAT THAT, THAT, THAT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE BUDGET CYCLE, YOU NEED TO START IT EARLIER.
AND LASTLY, ARE THERE AREAS WHERE YOU THINK LUS COULD SHOW LEADERSHIP STATEWIDE AND HOW WE RESPOND TO THIS EVOLVING FISCAL LANDSCAPE? MM, THAT'S, YEAH, THAT'S MORE DIFFICULT.
I GUESS I WOULD COME BACK TO, UM, UH, UH, TO THE SOCIAL SERVICE ISSUES.
UM, CALLING THE ATTENTION TO THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD ASSISTANCE.
UM, HOW IMPORTANT FUNDING MEDI-CAL IS THE EFFECT OF MEDI-CAL, THE MEDI-CAL CUTS THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSING THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSING RIGHT NOW AFFECT ADULTS WHO ARE UNDOCUMENTED OVER, I THINK IT'S OVER 19 OR OVER 21, THEY'RE ADULTS.
UM, BUT, UH, UH, WE WOULD, SHOULD BE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT MEDI-CAL CUTS MORE BROADLY.
AND I MEAN, SHOWING, BEING AN EXAMPLE OF FISCAL PRUDENCE AND, UM, AND, UM, I, I THINK THE WAY THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT, UM, MADE CLEAR THE DISTRICT'S STANCE ON IMMIGRATION IS A MODEL FOR HOW WE CAN, WE CAN DO THE KIND OF, WE CAN STAND BY OUR, OUR VALUES AND OUR PRINCIPLES.
SO WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO SERVE EVERYBODY FOOD.
WE'RE GONNA GONNA CONTINUE TO, TO VALUE EQUITY.
UM, AND IN THAT WAY WE CAN, WE CAN MODEL FOR ALL THE OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE STATE HOW TO MOVE FORWARD IN DIFFICULT TIMES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, YES, MS. GRADLE, WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I WONDER, WERE YOU A TEACHER AT ONE POINT,
I COULD TOTALLY UNDERSTAND IT.
UM, APPRECIATE YOU STARTING WITH THE GOOD NEWS.
UM,
UH, GROUP EFFORT, BUT YEAH, I, I DO APPRECIATE YOU, UM, UM, HIGHLIGHTING THAT IN THIS MOMENT WE ARE FINE.
RIGHT? AND, UM, THAT THE FORECAST BASED ON, YOU KNOW, THE, THE NATIONAL, UH, CONDITIONS RIGHT NOW, ANY POTENTIALS IS WHAT IS CREATING A LOT OF THIS, THIS GLOOM, THIS FEELING OF GLOOM.
AND I ALWAYS THINK OF ANXIETY IS WHEN YOU WORRY ABOUT THE PAST OR ABOUT THE FUTURE AND NOT WHEN YOU'RE IN THE PRESENT, THEN YOU CAN LET GO.
AND I JUST FEEL THAT, UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION BECAUSE I THINK IT, IT, IT PAINTS A VERY, UM, A FULL PICTURE RIGHT.
OF, OF, OF THE ECONOMIC SITUATION.
UM, AND SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I, YOU TOUCHED A LITTLE BIT ON, UM, ON SOME GRANTS THAT SOME 12 PROGRAMS OH YEAH.
THAT, UH, THE GOVERNOR IS, IS, UH, PUTTING FORTH, I WONDER ANY OF THOSE 12 PROGRAMS, SOMETHING THAT WE WILL BENEFIT FROM L-A-U-S-D? OH, YES.
LITERACY SCREENING, UM, TEACHER, UH, RECRUITMENT, THE MONEY SHIFTED A LITTLE BIT.
I HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DETAILS.
I THINK IT WAS TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND NOW IT'S TEACHER STIPENDS.
OR WAS STIPENDS ANNOUNCED IT'S RECRUITMENT.
UM, SO THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SHIFTS.
UM, BUT YEAH, THERE MANY OF THEM WILL BENEFIT FROM, AND I CAN GET BACK TO YOU.
IF YOU COULD IN HERE COULD, UM, SHARE THAT.
SO THAT WAY WE, WE KNOW WHAT SOME THINGS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, TOWARD US THERE.
'CAUSE THAT IS, IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THE WEEDS THAN I PLAN TO GET INTO, BUT THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE PROBABLY, WILL PROBABLY HAVE THE MOST IMMEDIATE EFFECT.
PEOPLE, PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT WILL WANNA SAY, OH, AM I GETTING MY MONEY FOR THIS? I KNOW.
I, IT GENERALLY, WE SEE THE OUTCOME OF THAT AS PART OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS.
THESE ARE IN MANY WAYS, ONE-TIME RESOURCES REPURPOSING OF UNSPENT DOLLARS TO FUND, UH,
[01:50:01]
TARGETED PROGRAMS, THE EXPANSION OF THE LITERACY PROGRAM.UM, SO THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES THERE, BUT THEY'RE ONE TIME IN NATURE, RIGHT? SO HOW WE UTILIZE THEM AND APPLY FOR THEM WILL, WILL BE CONTINGENT ON WHAT THE LEGISLATURE ACTUALLY APPROVES.
BUT THAT'S A POSITIVE THING AND, AND THAT'S GREAT.
THE OTHER THING IS, YOU ALSO MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.
CAN YOU SHARE ABOUT THAT? THAT'S JUST THE FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS GRANT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND PERSONALLY, I WAS JUST SURPRISED TO SEE THAT THEIR WEBSITE IS STILL UP THERE ON THAT DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WEBSITE.
UM, BUT THE, THE PROPOSAL IN, IN THE PRESIDENT SKINNY BUDGET IS TO, IS TO CUT THAT COMPLETELY.
BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THIS DISTRICT AND, AND, UH, SOMEBODY FROM BUDGET CAN, UM, UH, PROBABLY BE MORE ACCURATE ABOUT THIS.
BUT I DON'T THINK WE GET MUCH OF, UH, MONEY FROM THE FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.
IT'S THE C-S-S-P-P GRANT, A-C-S-S-P, THE GRANT FROM THE STATE
AND THEN WE PUT IN A FAIR AMOUNT FROM, UH, THE GENERAL FUND OURSELVES FOR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.
UM, THERE WAS ANOTHER QUESTION I HAD AND I JUST LOST IT.
SO JUST YOUR THOUGHTS ON, ON, WE HAVE SOME TIME TO LOBBY, RIGHT? THE GOVERNOR MM-HMM
TO LOBBY OUR, OUR REPRESENTATIVES.
WHAT ARE SOME, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS ON HOW AS A DISTRICT WE CAN, UM, WE CAN PUSH FOR SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT ESPECIALLY IMPACT OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
WE'RE THE SECOND LARGEST DISTRICT, HIGH NUMBER OF, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, OF NEEDS THROUGHOUT.
AND SO WHAT, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS ON HOW OUR DISTRICT CAN LEAD IN THAT EFFORT TO PRESSURE OUR LEGISLATORS AND OUR GOVERNOR TO, TO MAKE SOME CHANGES? WELL, I, I WISH I HAD SOMETHING MORE SPECIFIC.
AND I THINK THE, I THINK MARTHA'S HERE FROM, YEAH.
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS,
I, I THINK WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PORTFOLIO OF ADVOCACY AND THE FOCUS RIGHT NOW IN SACRAMENTO IS REALLY TO ENSURE THAT THERE ISN'T ANY EROSION OF COMMITMENTS THAT ARE IN THE CURRENT YEAR.
WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE GOVERNOR'S MAY REVISE PROPOSAL AND WHAT'S BEING CONSIDERED IS, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT THAT STABILITY IN REVENUE, THAT STABILITY IN REVENUE'S, A LAGGING INDICATOR.
IT'S A REFLECTION OF LAST YEAR'S ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE, WHAT THEIR CAUTIONING IS, WHAT'S THE ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE THAT WE EXPECT FROM JANUARY OF THIS YEAR TO DECEMBER, THAT THEN INFORMS APRIL, YOU KNOW, TAX RECEIPTS NEXT YEAR.
AND WE KNOW THAT THAT'S, THAT'S DRIVEN BY, I WOULD SAY, THE TENOR AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, BUT ALSO HOW BUSINESSES ARE RESPONDING IN CALIFORNIA, HOW INDIVIDUALS ARE MAKING PERSONAL CHOICES AROUND SPENDING, AS WELL AS BUSINESS DECISIONS THAT ARE THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF OUR REVENUES AT A STATE LEVEL.
AND SO, I, I, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THAT INTERDEPENDENCY.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CONCERNS AROUND MEDI-CAL AND THE REDUCTION OF SNAP RESOURCES, MOST OF OUR ACTUALLY MEAL PROGRAMS AND OUR, UH, OTHER PROGRAMS AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL ACTUALLY COME AS A RESULT OF OUR DIRECT CERTIFICATION FILES DIRECT CERTIFIED YEAH.
IS WHEN THE STATE MAKES A DETERMINATION THAT A FAMILY HAS A NEED AND THAT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR SNAP, FOR MEDI-CAL.
AND THAT THEN INFORMS THEIR PARTICIPATION IN A NUMBER OF K 12 PROGRAMS. WHEN YOU ACTUALLY LIMIT MEDI-CAL, YOU LIMIT ELIGIBILITY, WHICH THEN LIMITS PARTICIPATION.
AND SO THAT'S THE INTERDEPENDENCY THAT WE SEE BETWEEN HUMAN SERVICES AND K 12.
IT'S, THIS IS ALWAYS THE CHALLENGE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAPPEN IN SACRAMENTO, IS THAT THE TWO LARGEST BUDGETS IN CALIFORNIA ARE GONNA BE HUMAN SERVICES AND K 12, AND THEY'RE PITTED AGAINST ONE ANOTHER WHEN WE KNOW IT'S THE SAME POPULATIONS THAT WE'RE SERVING.
AND SO STRATEGICALLY, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET THAT SERVES THE WHOLE CHILD, AND IT'S REALLY THINKING ABOUT THE WHOLE CHILD ADVOCACY AT A STATE LEVEL.
SO MAYBE IF YOU CAN'T ANSWER IT, UH, MAYBE MARTHA CAN RESPOND TO THAT QUESTION BECAUSE I, I FEEL THERE'S URGENCY THAT WE NEED TO BE VERY PROACTIVE IN, IN WHAT WE ADVOCATE FOR.
AND, UM, AND OUR LEGISLATORS, THEY REPRESENT US AND THEY REPRESENT OUR STUDENTS SO WELL, I'LL JUST ADD TO THAT.
I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HEARING, UH, UH, WHAT WE ARE HEARING FROM LEGISLATORS ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY AGREE WITH, UH, WITH THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL.
[01:55:01]
UH, UM, GOOD AFTERNOON.MARTHA ALVAR, CHIEF OF GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS.
UM, SO OUR TEAM IN SACRAMENTO, UH, ACTUALLY THIS MORNING, UH, THERE WAS THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROP 98 PROPOSALS IN THE ASSEMBLY BUDGET COMMITTEE NUMBER THREE, TOMORROW, THE SENATE COMMITTEE NUMBER ONE WILL BE HEARING THE SAME PROPOSALS.
UM, SO, SO I CAN GIVE YOU A PREVIEW OF THE ITEMS THAT WE STARTED TO HIGHLIGHT OF INTEREST TO LA UNIFIED, UM, AND ALSO WHAT MY TEAM IN SACRAMENTO, SASHA HOROWITZ, UM, MENTIONED.
SO, UH, THE LEGISLATURE, THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, OF THE BUDGET, BUDGET SCHOOL FINANCE COMMITTEE, UM, THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROPOSAL TO ZERO OUT THE PROP 98 RESERVE.
UM, RIGHT NOW THEY WOULD BE A BALANCE OF FIVE, $540 MILLION.
THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSING TO WITHDRAW THE FUNDING IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THE LCF COLA NEXT YEAR.
UM, SO IT WOULD BE A $0 BALANCE COME AT THE END OF 25, 26.
SO THEY'RE CONCERNED THAT THEY, KNOWING THAT THE ECONOMIC SITUATION IS NOT LOOKING GOOD IN THE FUTURE YEARS, THAT THERE WON'T BE ANY MORE FUNDING IN THE RESERVE FOR PROP 98.
UM, UH, AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT ON THE, ON THE GENERAL FUND RESERVE, THEY ARE LEAVING ABOUT $15 BILLION LEFT OVER FOR FUTURE ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY.
UM, BUT AT LEAST ON THE PROP 98, THERE WOULD BE $0 LEFT OVER.
UM, AND I'LL COME BACK TO THE, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO US.
UM, ONE ISSUE THAT WE'LL BE CLOSELY, UH, LOOKING AT AND PERHAPS EVEN, UH, HAVING COMMENTS IN OUR LETTER THAT WOULD BE GOING OUT IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE, AND THE LEGISLATORS.
UM, THERE'S A PROP 98 GUARANTEE SPLIT.
SO, UM, WHEN PROP 98 WAS PASSED BY VOTERS IN 1988, UH, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN, UH, T WELL, NOW TK, SINCE WE HAVE A NEW GRADE LEVEL FOR FOUR YEAR OLDS, UH, K 14, SO IT INCLUDES COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICTS.
UM, TRADITIONALLY IT'S BEEN AN 89% OF THE PROP 98 GUARANTEE GOES TO K 12, AND THEN THE OTHER 11%, ROUGHLY 10, 10 POINT SOMETHING, 11% GOES TO COMMUNITY COLLEGES.
WHEN, UM, THREE YEARS AGO, WHEN THE GOVERNOR AND ADMINISTRATION, UM, ADOPTED THE TK, UH, UH, FIVE YEAR IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE, THEY COMMITTED TO DOING WHAT'S CALLED THE PROP 98 REINVENTING.
THAT MEANS THAT, UM, PROP 98 IS BEING AUGMENTED.
THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL, UM, UH, PART OF FUNDING ABOVE IT, ABOVE THE GUARANTEE FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, AND THAT WAS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO NOT TAKE AWAY MONEY FROM OTHER GRADE LEVELS TO PAY FOR THE TK EXPANSION.
THAT'S IN THE TUNE OF $2 BILLION.
UM, THE ONGOING COST FROM GENERAL FUND INTO PROP 98, WHAT THE, THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE DID NOT DO THAT WHEN THAT REDEMPTION HAPPENED.
IT DID NOT, UH, PROTECT THE PREVENTING TO BE ONLY FOR K 12.
THEY ALSO GAVE SOME OF THE MONEY TO COMMUNITY COLLEGES.
SO THEY OVER APPROPRIATED COMMUNITY COLLEGES BY ABOUT $500 MILLION, 400 AND SOMETHING ALMOST $500 MILLION.
SO THIS SPLIT IS AN ISSUE THAT IS CREATING TENSION IN SACRAMENTO, THE PERCEPTION THAT K 12 IS NOW TAKING AWAY MONEY FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN ORDER TO MAKE WHOLE FOR THE TK EXPANSION ON THE K 12 SIDE.
UM, SO LEGISLATORS THIS MORNING BROUGHT UP THAT CONCERN IN THE BUDGET COMMITTEE HEARING, AND WE COULD, UH, FORESEE SOME, UM, MANEUVERING TRYING TO MINI MITIGATE ANY IMPACT TO COMMUNITY COLLEGES.
UM, THE OTHER ISSUE, AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THIS, PREVENTING AT A TIME WHEN THE GENERAL FUND HAS LIMITED, UM, ROOM FOR GROWTH, KNOWING THAT THERE'S CUTS TO MEDICAID AND OTHER, UH, POTENTIAL IMPACTS COST TO, UM, UH, MEDICAID FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS AND OTHERS, UM, THIS CONCERN THAT AT LEAST ONE OF OUR, UM, LA MEMBERS BROUGHT UP THIS MORNING, UH, THE COST TO IMPLEMENT THE TK ONE TO 10 RATIO, UM, THAT'S GOING TO BE A SIGNIFICANT COST TO THE STATE.
UM, AGAIN, FOR THAT RE BENCHING TO HAPPEN OVER $2 BILLION, UM, THE PER STUDENT AMOUNT THAT WE WOULD BENEFIT AROUND $5,545.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RATIO FUNDING MAINTAINS IN THE, UH, FINAL BUDGET ADOPTION, BECAUSE OTHERWISE, UH, WE'LL BE, UH, LEFT WITH THE REQUIREMENT TO LOWER THE RATIO, BUT NOT THE FUNDING, UH, AS SANDRA ALLUDED TO IT BEFOREHAND.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER CONCERN THAT THE LEGISLATORS HAVE, WHICH AT THIS POINT I DON'T ANTICIPATE WILL BE, UM, ADDING INTO OUR ADVOCACY IS, UM, THE, THE PROPOSED $1.8 BILLION DEFERRAL, UM, IN THE JUNE, 2026 PAYMENT TO INSTEAD DEFER TO JULY, 2026.
UM, THAT DEFERRAL IS NECESSARY AS PROPOSED BY THE ADMINIS, BY THE NEWSOM ADMINISTRATION IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE LCFF, UM, PAYMENT AND COLA.
AND, UH, FOR OUR PURPOSE, IT'S MORE OF A CASH FLOW.
IT HELPS THEM INSTEAD OF SCORING IT AGAINST THE 25 26 FISCAL YEAR, THEY'RE JUST SAYING ONE MONTH DELAY.
UM, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER AREA THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, THERE MIGHT BE SOME SMALL, UH, COST BORROWING, UH, TO US, UM, BORROWING COSTS.
BUT FOR THE STATE IS ONE WAY, AGAIN, JUST TO MAINTAIN THE LCF HOLE, UM, OF AREAS OF PRIORITY.
UM, AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR STAFF, UM, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND, UH, WHAT IT MEANS FOR US.
UM, UH, THERE'S A, A PROPOSED ZERO COLA FOR THE STATE PRESCHOOL PROGRAM.
UH, FOR US, THE PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES ABOUT $6 MILLION LESS FOR ALL UNIFIED BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE GIVING NO COLA TO PRESCHOOL.
UM, THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE HAS INDICATED THEIR INTENT TO GIVE ZERO
[02:00:01]
COLA IS TO HAVE PARITY WITH THE CHILDCARE SIDE BECAUSE THERE'S NO AUGMENTATIONS FOR THE CHILDCARE SIDE, AND THEY'RE ASKING FOR MORE, UM, INCREASED RATES AND INCREASED SLOTS FOR CHILDCARE.AND SO IN ORDER TO TRY TO KEEP US EQUAL, UM, THERE'S RECOMMENDING 0% COLA FOR PRESCHOOL, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE OUR STAFF TO MAINTAIN AND, AND, UH, PROGRAMS TO KEEP.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE, UH, POTENTIAL.
UM, ADVOCACY WILL DEFINITELY BE IN OUR ADVOCACY LETTER.
ONE OTHER IS, UM, FACILITIES FUNDING.
UM, SO ONE CLARIFICATION I WANTED TO MAKE FROM WHAT ANDREW, UM, MENTIONED, THE PROPOSED REDUCTION IN THE TK, UM, FUNDING IS MORE SO ON THE PER PUPIL AMOUNT THAT SUPPORTS THE STAFFING RATIO, NOT FOR FACILITIES.
THERE WAS NO PROPOSAL IN THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET IN JANUARY OR NOW FOR TK FACILITIES.
THE PROPOSED, UH, REPURPOSING IS $177 MILLION THAT THEY'RE, UM, PUTTING BACK IN THE GENERAL FUND THAT WAS GOING TO BE SUPPORTING, UH, FACILITY PROJECTS AND MORE RECENTLY TRYING TO HELP WITH WILDFIRE COSTS, UH, FOR FACILITY RECOVERY COSTS.
THE ADMINISTRATION'S NOW SAYING THAT IT SHOULD BE PROPPED TO THE, THE STATE FUND THAT WOULD VOTERS APPROVE THIS PAST NOVEMBER.
SO WE'RE FIGURING OUT IF THERE WAS A NEED FOR ANY FACILITY RELATED, UH, WILDFIRE RECOVERY FUNDS, UM, IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
AND IF NOT, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE PROP TWO FUNDING AT A LATER TIME.
UM, BUT THAT MIGHT BE AN AREA SPECIFIC TO LA UNIFIED OF CONCERN.
UM, AND THEN THE ONE ALSO THAT HAS NOT BEEN MENTIONED IS, UH, THAT WE ALSO, UH, WILL BE ADDING TO OUR, OUR ADVOCACY LETTER IS A PROPOSED $1.3 BILLION, UH, WITHHOLDING OF PROP 98 FUNDING.
SO, UM, THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSING TO SET ASIDE, UM, TO NOT GIVE MONEY IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR, UM, AT $1.3 BILLION, AND INSTEAD WAIT UNTIL NEXT SPRING OF 2026 TO SEE IF THE MONEY MATERIALIZES.
WHAT THEY DON'T WANT TO DO IS OVER APPROPRIATE, UM, MONEY TO DISTRICTS.
WE SPEND IT AND THEN THE MONEY ENDED UP BEING LOWER THAN EXPECTED.
UM, AND SO, SO A LOT OF THE STATEWIDE ORGANIZATIONS, I'M ASSUMING, UH, RANGING FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION TO CTA, UM, THEY LIKELY WILL BE OPPOSING THAT, UM, AGAIN, $1.3 BILLION BECAUSE THAT'S MONEY THAT WE WOULDN'T BE GETTING NOW THAT IT WOULD BE KEPT ASIDE FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S OTHER AREAS, UM, UH, THAT, UH, OF GREAT INTEREST TO US TO THE BOARD BERGS QUESTION OF THE 12 PROGRAMS THAT, UH, ANDREW MENTIONED ON THE ONETIME FUNDS, UM, THERE'S ACTUALLY A PROPOSAL FOR A PILOT, UH, $50 MILLION FOR A SECONDARY REVISION REIMAGINING SECONDARY MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL SUPPORTS.
UM, SO IT WOULD BE AN OPT-IN FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SCHOOLS BE PART OF THE PILOT FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOLS.
THINK RETHINKING THAT, UM, THERE'S, UH, $200 MILLION, UH, ONE TIME FUNDING STATEWIDE.
UM, THAT WOULD BE, I BELIEVE, $2,000 PER, UH, PER EMPLOYEE, NOT FOR THE EMPLOYEE, BUT FOR THE DISTRICT TO GENERATE THE MONEY FOR THE DISTRICT TO SUPPORT WITH EVIDENCE BASED, UM, LITERACY, UH, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, UH, FOR SCIENCE OF READING.
UM, THERE'S AN COMPANION BILL THAT'S GOING THROUGH THE LEG LEGISLATURE, UM, ON THIS ISSUE.
SO THIS WOULD BE PROVIDING THE FUNDING FOR THAT.
UM, THERE'S ALSO ONE TIME FUNDING THAT WOULD BE PROVIDING FOR DISTRICTS LIKE LA UNIFIED, UM, TO, UH, KEEP US WHOLE WITH OUR, UH, COUNT FOR TK STUDENTS.
UM, THE LAW CHANGED LAST YEAR WHERE STUDENTS NO LONGER CAN TAKE, UM, THE ELPAC ASSESSMENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE, UM, UH, UH, ASSESSMENT, UH, IN TK.
AND SO IN ORDER TO NOT LOWER OUR UPP, OUR UNDUPLICATED PEOPLE ACCOUNT FOR ELSE A PURPOSES, THEY WOULD PROVIDE A ONE TIME HOLD HARMLESS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS WHILE A NEW TEST COMES IN.
UM, SO THERE'S FUNDING FOR THAT.
UM, AND I MEAN, I WON'T BORE YOU WITH IT.
HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, DISCUSS MORE OFFLINE.
UM, BUT THERE'S A FEW DEFINITELY, UM, MINOR POTS OF FUNDING THAT THERE WOULD BE A BENEFIT TO THE DISTRICT, UM, IN A, IN A HOLISTIC WAY.
ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN HELP ANSWER, LET ME KNOW.
WELL, THANK YOU MARTHA, AND THANK YOU AS WELL, AND I APPRECIATE THE TIE.
UM, UH, JUST YOU MENTIONED SOME THINGS IN THE IMPLICATION, OBVIOUSLY OF THE PROPOSALS THAT ARE HERE.
UM, AND CAN YOU JUST ELABORATE JUST A LITTLE BIT, AND MARTHA MENTIONED SOME OF THE FUNDING, BUT WHEN THE ELOP FUNDING GOES UP, EXACTLY, HOW IS THAT AFFECTING US? BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE WILL SEE AN INCREASE, BUT THEN THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE ON OUR PART, AS I UNDERSTAND THE ELOP FUNDING, UH, IT'S, IT'S STATEWIDE FUNDING AND IT'S REALLY, UM, I HAVE THE NUMBER IN HERE SOMEWHERE.
IT'S, IT'S GOING UP IN ORDER TO, TO FUND DISTRICTS THAT ARE NO, THAT ARE CURRENTLY NOT REQUIRED TO OFFER ELOP TO ALL THEIR STUDENTS BECAUSE, UM, UH, IT'S BASED ON THE COUNT OF UNDUPLICATED PUPILS AND ELOP FULLY FUNDED DISTRICTS THAT HAD A HIGH COUNT LIKE L-A-U-S-D OF UNDUPLICATED, UH, PUPILS AND NOW STATES, UH, FUNDING IS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE
[02:05:01]
DISTRICTS THAT HAVE 55% UNDUPLICATED PUPIL COUNT OR LOWER, OR NO, I THINK AT LEAST 55%.UM, SO, SO IT REALLY DOESN'T, I, SO I UNDERSTAND IT, IT WON'T AFFECT LA UNIFIED AT ALL.
UM, AND THEN IN YOUR, UM, AS FAR AS IN MEDI-CAL, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU COULD EVEN ANSWER THIS, BUT WITH SOME OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITHIN OUR SCHOOL SITES, WOULD THAT BE IN EFFECT TO OUR SCHOOL SITES? BECAUSE WE DO HAVE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WORK THROUGH THESE FUNDINGS? I WOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT THAT.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY, BUT YEAH.
BUT, AND, AND OUR STRATEGY IS TO IS TO RELY INCREASINGLY ON, ON PARTNERS TO PROVIDE SOME OF THESE SERVICES AND, AND THOSE PARTNERS ARE FUNDED PARTIALLY THROUGH MEDICAID OR MEDI-CAL.
SO I WOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT THAT.
I THINK WE NEED TO DO AN ANALYSIS ABOUT OF THAT.
AND THEN YOU MENTIONED, WHICH I APPRECIATE THE, UM, ADVICE ABOUT COMING UP WITH AN EDCOCK COMMITTEE TO KIND OF STRATEGICALLY PLAN AND FOR THE REDUCTIONS THAT MAY COME OCTOBER, 2025 AFTER WE'VE ALREADY MM-HMM
UM, MADE VOTE TO A BUDGET THAT WOULD HELP US KIND OF SUSTAIN.
UM, AND SO YOU DID MENTION, UM, LIKE THE START OF NEW PROGRAMS, AND WHEN YOU SAY START A NEW, WHAT WOULD YOU IMAGINE WOULD BE SOMETHING NEW THAT YOU WOULD THINK WOULD NOT BE SUSTAINABLE ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT? I WAS WORRIED THAT YOU
I MEAN, OUR BIG, I I THINK OF OUR BIG, UM, TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVES IN THE DISTRICT AS PRIORITY SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, BSAP, UM, THERE ARE PROBABLY MORE PILOT SCHOOLS.
UM, BUT I I, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW THAT ANYBODY'S PROPOSING OF THAT MAGNITUDE.
I GUESS I WOULD SAY ONE THING THAT THAT CROSSED MY MIND, WHICH IS, WHICH IS I, I'M NOT SURE WE'VE DONE A CLOSE LOOK AT IT AND WHETHER, UM, THERE ARE SOME EFFICIENCIES IN, IN, IN IT, UM, AND NEW INITIATIVES IN THAT AREA.
IT, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT BEARS CLOSER SCRUTINY.
WELL, THANK YOU, UM, DR. ANDREW THOMAS FOR YOUR INSIGHT AND YOUR ANALYSIS AND PROVIDING US FURTHER FOOD FOR THOUGHT AS WE WILL BE MAKING SOME VERY CRITICAL DECISIONS, UM, IN THE NEAR FUTURE AROUND, UM, BUDGET AND AS WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, UH, WITH CERTAINTY AT THE FEDERAL AND ALSO STATE LEVEL MOVING FORWARD, DO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR WORK AND ALSO MEGAN'S WORK AS WELL.
UM, SO ONCE AGAIN, UM, MUCH APPRECIATION TO MSA STEVENS AND DR.
UNDER THOMAS FOR SHARING THEIR, SHARING THEIR TIME, INSIGHTS AND DEEP COMMITMENT TO OUR STUDENTS AND SCHOOL COMMUNITIES ON, UH, SO MANY LEVELS.
[IV. Public Comment]
WE WILL BE TRANSITIONING TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT WE TRULY DE VALUE THE VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND APPRECIATE YOUR ENGAGEMENT IN THIS PROCESS.SO NOW I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. MCLEAN.
UH, WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT NOW WE HAVE A FULL BOAT, A FULL SLATE OF FOLKS HERE TO SPEAK.
UH, AS USUAL, I'LL CALL ON THE FOLKS WHO LISTED THEMSELVES AS BEING IN PERSON.
I'LL CALL ON THEM FIRST AND THEN WE'LL TRANSITION TO THOSE WHO LISTED THEMSELVES AS CALLING REMOTELY.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS MARIA LUISA PALMA, COME ON DOWN.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK WHEN SHE BEGIN.
EACH PRESENTER HAS TWO MINUTES TO PRESENT THEIR COMMENTS.
UH, PLEASE COME ON DOWN, MS. PALMA, I SEE YOU OUT THERE.
AND THEN FOLLOWING MS. PALMA IS, UH, JESSICA GUZMAN AND THEN ISABEL GONZALEZ.
THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION GUARANTEES STUDENTS AND STAFF OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS THE RIGHT TO SAVE SCHOOLS AND GRANTS THEM THE INALIENABLE RIGHT TO ATTEND CAMPUSES WHICH ARE SAFE, SECURE, AND PEACEFUL.
ON BEHALF OF THE PARENTS COMMUNITY WHO SIGNED THE PETITION FOR RE AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH BOARD RULE 1, 3, 2, AND THE EDUCATION CODE SECTION 3 5 1 4 5 0.5, I BRING YOU THIS RESOLUTION ENSURING LOCAL SCHOOL SITE AND COMMUNITY CONTROL, AUTHORITY, AUTONOMY, AND CHOICE REGARDING
[02:10:01]
SAFE CAMPUSES AND THE PROTECTION OF OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF.THIS IS AN UPDATE OF THE RESOLUTION BROUGHT FORTH BY DR.
MCKENNA, MR. SCHON, AND WHICH THIS BOARD VOTED ON AND NOT PASSED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2021.
WE ARE REQUESTING HERE THAT YOU EMPOWER SCHOOLS TO ALLOW THE SCHOOLS TO DECIDE IF THEY WANT AN ASSIGNED SCHOOL POLICE OFFICER ON THE CAMPUS FOR YOU TO FUND SUFFICIENT SCHOOL POLICE POSITIONS IN THE 25 TO 2026 BUDGET TO HAVE AN ONGOING DATA REPORTING SYSTEM TO REPORT SAFETY INSTANCES SYSTEMATICALLY, TO CREATE A SAFETY ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN, TO MEASURE SPECIFICALLY WHAT IS WORKING AND NOT WORKING IN YOUR SAFETY PROGRAMS. SO WHEN THIS BOARD IN 2020 AND IN 2021 CUT 133 SCHOOL POLICE POSITIONS, THERE WAS NO PLAN.
THERE WAS NO WAY TO HAVE ANY ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO KEEP ANY OF YOU BOARD MEMBERS ACCOUNTABLE TO THE RESULTS.
SO YOU CONTINUE TO PRETEND THAT NOTHING IS HAPPENING THERE, DESPITE THE ELEVATED INCIDENTS, DESPITE THE NUMBER OF PARENTS WHO COME HERE AND TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH VIOLENCE, CRIME, EVERYTHING THAT GETS REPORTED ON IN THE MEDIA.
SO YOU CONTINUE TO EVADE SCRUTINY, EVADE RESPONSIBILITY, THE LAW SAYS IT IS THE INTENT OF THE LEGISLATURE THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC BE ABLE TO PLACE MATTERS DIRECTLY ON THE AGENDA OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS GOVERNING BOARD MEETINGS.
WILL YOU COMPLY WITH THE LAW? WILL YOU COMPLY WITH THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE? WILL YOU HEAR THE VOICE OF PARENTS AND HEAR THIS AGENDA ITEM AND VOTE ON IT THIS SCHOOL YEAR? WILL YOU DO IT? I HOPE YOU DO.
JESSICA GUZMAN, JESSICA GUZMAN, COME ON UP.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
UH, I AM HERE IN SUPPORT OF SCHOOL POLICE.
UM, IT IS VERY NECESSARY BECAUSE IT PROVIDES, UM, SAFETY AND SURVEILLANCE, UM, WHICH IS NECESSARY IF YOU WANT STUDENTS TO KEEP ATTENDING SCHOOL AND DOING WELL ACADEMICALLY.
UM, UM, IT IS VERY NEEDED, UM, BECAUSE IT PROVIDES A LOT OF, UM, SAFETY AND YOU CAN DO IT.
MS. GONZALEZ IS GOING TO SPEAK IN SPANISH, SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR WHAT SHE'S SAYING IN ENGLISH, PLEASE PUT YOUR HANDS UP AND WE'LL GET YOU THESE TRANSLATION HEADSETS SO YOU CAN EXPERIENCE SIMULTANEOUS TRANSLATION.
ANYONE ELSE FOR HEADSETS? OKAY, I WAS AT A MEETING YESTERDAY, A BUDGET MEETING, AND I'M HERE TO SAY THIS AGAIN BECAUSE THE AUDIO WAS CUT YESTERDAY.
AND THE SCHOOL YEAR IS ENDING.
AND I WOULD'VE LOVED TO GIVE THANKS TO THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND CONGRATULATE YOU FOR THE BIG WORK AND THE DEDICATION AND THE HARD WORK.
AND MORE THAN ANYTHING, TRANSPARENCY, JUSTICE, AND EQUITY.
OBVIOUSLY YOU ARE NOT LISTENING TO THE PARENTS, THE PARENT OF STUDENTS OF L-A-U-S-D.
YOU ARE NOT LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY, TO THE, TO THE STUDENTS.
AND WHY NOT TO MENTION AS WELL SCHOOL PERSONNEL.
WE ARE HERE TO ASK FOR SCHOOL SAFETY FOR PREPARED QUALIFIED PEOPLE AND TRAINED LIKE SCHOOL POLICES.
AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE A CLASSROOM DURING THE STUDENT'S RECESS, DURING THE MORNINGS OR THE ENTRANCE THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY, EVEN AFTER SCHOOL, WE KNOW WHAT WE SEE AND WHAT OUR STUDENTS LIVE AT THE SCHOOLS FIGHTS.
BULLYING, STABBING, DRUG DRUG SALE.
WELL, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PERSONNEL THAT GETS TO SCHOOL FIRST AND ARE THE LAST ONES TO LEAVE? SO WHAT ABOUT THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE VANDALIZED EVERY NIGHT? SCHOOL PERSONNEL LIVES, THEY ARE RESTRAINED FROM HAND, MOUTH, AND FEET.
THEY CAN'T SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE IF NOT, WORK ENDS FOR THEM.
AND THEY ALSO DON'T FEEL PROTECTED.
AND THEY'VE, WHY IS THERE SECURITY HERE? WHY WE WANT THE SCHOOL FINANCE TO COME BACK AND COMPLETE WEDNESDAY, I WAS AT A MEETING WITH
[02:15:01]
COFFEE WITH THE PRINCIPAL AT A SCHOOL, AND IT IS SO INCREDIBLE TO HEAR THE VOICE OF THE PARENTS THAT ARE ASKING FOR SCHOOL POLICE TO COME BACK TO SCHOOLS.AND WE HAVE TRAINED SCHOOL POLICE, BUT THE BOARD ARE THINKING OF AN A CONTRARY AGENDA AND NOT THE VOICE OF THE PARENTS, RIGHT? MS. CARLA, YOU WERE THERE.
YOU PROMOTE AN AGENDA TO PROMOTE FUNDS FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE.
THANK YOUR TIME TO SPEND, UH, A LITTLE OVER TWO MINUTES.
OKAY, JENNA NOYES, THERE YOU ARE.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
AND THEN AFTER MS. NOYES IS, UH, IRENE.
TAM MARGO, THE TWO MINUTES IS YOURS.
YOU MAY WANNA, UH, MOVE THE MIC UP A LITTLE.
I'M SPEAKING TODAY ON BEHALF OF FAMILIES AND THE 31ST DISTRICT OF PTSA.
I PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED, UH, THEIR OFFICIAL LETTER OF SUPPORT FEBRUARY 10TH, ADVOCATING FOR THE RETURN OF CAMPUS POLICE AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY SAFETY SUPPORT SYSTEM.
SO I PRESENT THE LETTER AGAIN TO YOU, AND THEN AS A DEDICATED PTA LEADER AND ADVOCATE, I CONDUCTED A DISTRICT-WIDE SURVEY FOCUSING ON THE KEY ISSUES THAT IMPACT SCHOOL CLIMATE AND OPERATIONS.
THE RESPONSES REVEALED BOTH APPRECIATION AND CONCERN ACROSS ALL SCHOOL LEVELS.
UH, AND I PRESENT THE REPORT FINDINGS TO YOU TODAY.
UM, AND WHAT OUR COMMUNITY IS ASKING IS CLEAR, NOT A SIZE, ONE SIZE FITS ALL SAFETY MODEL, BUT COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE SCHOOLS, FAMILIES, AND THE DISTRICT, AND THE ABILITY FOR EACH SCHOOL TO CHOOSE THE SUPPORTS THAT MEET, UH, THEIR NEEDS.
SO WHEN WE ASKED WHAT MAKES A SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, THE MOST COMMON ANSWERS WERE TRUSTED ADULTS, EMOTIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY, CLEAN AND SECURE CAMPUSES.
SO MORE THAN 97% OF THE RESPONDENT'S SUPPORT HAVING MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ON CAMPUS AT THE SAME TIME, 75% BELIEVE CAMPUS POLICE HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY, PARTICULARLY IN SITUATIONAL CAPACITIES.
SO THIS TELLS US THAT FAMILIES DON'T WANNA CHOOSE BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND CAMPUS SAFETY OFFICERS.
THEY WANT BOTH USED THOUGHTFULLY AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SCHOOL LEADERSHIP.
SO SAFETY LOOKS DIFFERENT IN EACH CAMPUS.
SO WHAT WORKS FOR ONE SCHOOL MAY NOT WORK FOR ANOTHER.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE ASKING FOR THE DISTRICT TO EMPOWER LOCAL SCHOOLS IN COLLABORATION WITH PARENTS AND STAFF TO DETERMINE THE RIGHT MIX OF SUPPORT, WHETHER IT'S THE PSW COUNSELORS, AIDS, CAMPUS POLICE.
SO WE MUST MOVE BEYOND DEBATE AND TOWARDS PARTNERSHIP.
SO THIS MEANS LISTENING TO COMMUNITIES AND GIVING THE SCHOOLS FLEXIBILITY AND RESOURCES THEY NEED TO ENSURE EVERY STUDENT FEELS SAFE.
SO LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE NOT JUST SAFE FOR SCHOOLS, BUT SCHOOLS THAT EVERY STUDENT IS SEEN, SUPPORTED, AND SECURE.
MS. DEMARGO IS GONNA SPEAK IN SPANISH, SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR WHAT SHE'S SAYING IN ENGLISH, PLEASE PUT YOUR HANDS UP.
IF YOU DO NOT YET HAVE A TRANSLATION HEADSET, I WOULD LIKE FOR THERE TO BE UNISON BECAUSE WE AS PARENTS AND YOU AS PEOPLE WHO ARE THE REPRESENTATIVES FOR EDUCATION, IF YOU CAN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT OUR STUDENTS NEED A LOT OF SAFETY.
WELL, I HAVE MY DAUGHTERS THAT GO TO THE HOLLYWOOD AREA.
THERE ARE IS A LOT OF VIOLENCE RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S A LOT OF DRUGS, THERE'S A LOT OF ALCOHOL.
AND MAINLY WHAT IS IN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ONE, IT'S THE SCHOOLS.
THERE HAVE BEEN MANY INCIDENTS AND TRULY I WOULDN'T LIKE FOR MY DAUGHTER TO GO THROUGH THAT BECAUSE SHE IS FINISHING OUT MIDDLE SCHOOL AND UNFORTUNATELY, HIGH SCHOOL IS TOUGHER.
UM, AND THERE'S THINGS THAT THEY WILL GO THROUGH.
AND TRULY, I, AS A MOTHER, I'M AFRAID BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE FOR THERE TO BE PERSONNEL THAT THAT MAKES THEM FEEL SAFE.
BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN THAT THERE ARE STUDENTS THAT HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE, STUDENTS THAT HAVE DIED IN THE SCHOOLS DUE TO OVERDOSES AND STUDENTS THAT HAVE KILLED OTHER CHILDREN
[02:20:01]
WITH, UH, FIREARMS OR, OR OTHER KINDS OF ARMS WITH GUNS AND KNIVES, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE ARE SEEING NOWADAYS.AND THAT'S WHAT'S MOST CONCERNING TO ME BECAUSE I AM A SINGLE MOTHER.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IT'S NOT JUST THAT, BUT THAT WE AS PARENTS, WE WANT THE BEST FOR OUR CHILDREN AND MOST OF ALL, TO SEE THEM, THAT THEY, THEY'RE PROFESSIONALS.
LET'S SEE NOW WE HAVE MARIA DAISY ORTIZ, COME ON UP.
AND THEN AFTER MS. ORTIZ IS DEANA GUILLEN AND THEN IKA GONZALEZ, MS. ORTIZ IS GONNA SPEAK IN SPANISH, SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR WHAT SHE'S SAYING IN ENGLISH AND DO NOT YET HAVE A TRANSLATION HEADSET, PLEASE PUT YOUR HANDS UP AND WE'LL GET YOU ONE
I GET UPSET BECAUSE YOU ARE ASSASSINATING EDUCATION BECAUSE WITH YOUR ACTIONS, YOU ARE KILLING OUR STUDENTS' DREAMS. AND ONE OF THE PRIORITIES THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE IS OUR STUDENT SAFETY, BECAUSE WE TRUST A SYSTEM THAT PROVIDES SAFETY IN THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
BECAUSE IF A STUDENT DOES NOT FEEL SAFE, THEN THEY CANNOT LEARN.
AND YOU WANT SAFETY, YOU WANNA TRY IT, UH, WITH A BANDAID, WITH, UH, SAFETY, UH, PATHWAYS.
YOU, WHO IS THIS AGENDA FOR, UH, SAFETY, UH, PATHWAYS BECAUSE YOU ARE VERY GOOD TO SAFETY PASSAGES BECAUSE YOU WANT TO MAKE SOMETHING GOOD, YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN.
IF THERE'S NOT POLITICAL MOVEMENTS, THERE ARE POL ECONOMICAL MOVEMENTS OR ACTIONS.
SO TRULY, SINCE YOU LEFT THE PARENTS OUTSIDE OF THE DECISION MAKING AND ALSO IN AUTHENTIC CONSULTATION, THIS HAS BEEN ON A DOWNFALL.
IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO MAKE EFFECTIVE CHANGES AND TO ANSWER THOSE THAT PAY TAXES AND PAY FOR YOUR POSITIONS BECAUSE YOU ARE ALL PUBLIC, UM, SERVANTS.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, YOU NEED TO COMPLY TO ALL OF THE OF US THAT PAY TAXES.
AND OUR SCHOOLS HAVE TO BE SAFE.
OUR SCHOOLS NEED TO HAVE QUALITY PROGRAMS. BUT HERE YOU COME TO DO NEGOTIATIONS ON OBSOLETE PROGRAMS. YOU DEAL WITH POSITIONS AND THEN WHAT HA, NOW YOU'RE CONCERNED BECAUSE YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR POSITION.
REDUCE THE BUREAUCRACY THAT MAKES IT SO THAT YOU ARE NOT COMPLIANT TO THE PUBLIC.
INVESTIGATE ALL THOSE POSITIONS, UH, GHOST POSITIONS THAT ARE IN SCHOOLS.
AND PLEASE ALSO, THIS DISTRICT HAS A LOT OF NEPOTISM.
THAT'S WHY OUR CONCERNS ARE NOT HEARD BECAUSE HERE THEY ARE, BROTHER-IN-LAWS, UM, SISTER-IN-LAWS, MOTHER-IN-LAWS THAT CAN NO LONGER EXIST.
WE NEED INCLUSION, AND WE NEED RESULTS.
OUR CHILDREN'S ARE THE FUTURE AND YOU ARE NOT RESPONDING TO IT.
YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK WHEN SHE BEGIN.
AND THEN AFTER MS. GUILLEN IS IKA GONZALEZ.
MY NAME IS ANA IAN AND I HAVE REPRESENTED THE, UH, PARENT NETWORK FOR STUDENT SAFETY SINCE LAST YEAR IN FEB, JANUARY.
THERE ARE 744,000 LOSSES IN THE AUDIT THAT THE DISTRICT HAVE.
AND ONE OF THOSE FAILS THAT YOU HAD IS SAFETY.
AND SO WHAT IS HAPPENING? YOU ARE NOT LISTENING TO US.
WE HAVE BROUGHT MORE THAN 4,000, AND TODAY WE BROUGHT ANOTHER 1500 SIGNATURES THAT WE WANT YOU TO SEE BECAUSE WE ASK YOU AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.
YOU SAY THAT YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED THEM TODAY.
IN THE MORNING YOU RECEIVE THEM, YOU RECEIVE 5,600 SIGNATURES OF MANY PARENTS, OF THE COMMUNITY, TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS THAT WANT SCHOOL POLICE TO RETURN TO SCHOOLS.
THAT'S TINY GROUP THAT'S BEING FINANCED BY THE TEACHER UNION.
UTLA DOES NOT REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF PARENTS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT NEEDS TO HAVE SAFETY HERE IN THE CORNER RIGHT HERE.
THEY EVEN THE DOGS WERE EATING HER.
YOU JUST, LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED RIGHT NEXT TO THE DISTRICT, RIGHT NEXT TO THE SCHOOL BECAUSE YOU'RE VERY COMFORTABLE HERE, HERE WITH AIR CONDITIONING, WITH THE POLICE, WATCHING OVER YOU WHEN YOU GO IN AND OUT.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THEIR CHILDREN? THERE'S DRUG SALES.
GANGS ARE TARGETING OUR STUDENTS, SELLING THEM DRUGS, SELLING THEM A DREAM THAT YOU CANNOT PROVIDE BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT WORKING FOR OUR CHILDREN.
AND WHAT DO YOU DO? YOU JUST, THEY JUST GO AND SELL DRUGS BECAUSE YOU HAVE FAILED WITH EDUCATION.
ALL THOSE PROGRAMS THAT YOU ARE PROVIDING, OUR CHILDREN ARE NOT WORKING.
[02:25:01]
FOR SAFETY TO BE BACK.AND WE WANT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT DO WORK WHERE PARENTS ARE PART OF THE DECISION MAKING.
WE DON'T WANT MR. ANTONIO PLACENCIA THAT ONLY IS THERE TO, UH, OPPRESS AND YOU LET FOR THEM TO CALL OUT, CALL US OUT.
WHEN ALL OF US AS PARENTS ARE, HE IS US IN DLA COMMITTEE, HE WANTS TO BELITTLE THE MEMBERSHIP, AND YOU ARE SUPPORTING THAT MAN THAT IS KICKING OUR BUTTS, ALL OF OUR PARENTS BECAUSE YOU ALLOW IT.
YOU ARE THE, UH, THE ONES THAT HATE THE PARENTS CHANGE.
I JUST, BEFORE BEGINNING THE MEETING, I JUST WANT TO ASK MR. NICK MELVOIN IF, GOOD MORNING.
JUST A REMINDER FOR THE BOARD, WE ASKED FOR THE OFFICERS IN SCHOOLS TO PROTECT OUR STUDENTS.
AND WE CALL FOR, TO TAKE INTO CAT OUR VOICE WITH RESPECT.
AND SERIOUSLY, BECAUSE SYRIAN RECENTLY, THERE HAVE BEEN STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN STABBED IN HIGH SCHOOL.
REMEMBER THAT STUDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE WELCOMING, UH, SITES AND THAT THEY ARE SAFE.
AND YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PUTTING INTO ACTION THE SAFETY PROTOCOL SO THAT THE RIGHTS OF THE STUDENTS ARE NOT VIOLATED.
WE WANT SAFE ENVIRONMENTS FOR A WELCOMING LEARNING AND, UH, THAT IS CALM AND FOR THEM TO GO TO SCHOOL WITHOUT THE FEAR OF BEING HARMED OR DRUGGED.
AND RIGHT NOW, AT THIS MOMENT, I WOULD LIKE FOR ALL OF YOU TO KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF VIOLENCE IN THE STREETS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE ON GLENDALE BOULEVARD AND ON LUCAS, THERE'S A LOT OF CAMPINGS OR TENTS OUT THERE.
THAT'S WHERE THE STUDENTS WALK FROM.
DOWNTOWN, BUSINESS MAGNET,
AND YOU HAVE TO GO AND PATROL YOU.
WE WANT FOR THE SCHOOL POLICE TO BE IN THE SITES.
I LIKE HOW RIGHT HERE YOU HAVE THE METAL DETECTORS HERE.
I WANT THOSE OFFICERS TO, I TOLD THEM TOO, I TOLD THEM THAT I WANT THEM IN MY SCHOOL.
AND SO WE NEED TO HAVE TO WORK WITH SAFETY.
YOU L-A-U-S-D AND THE BOARD AND PARENTS ALSO ANTONIO.
I HAVE WRITTEN TO HIM TELLING HIM THAT I NEED TEACHERS WITH CREDENTIALS OR CREDENTIAL TEACHERS AND HE HAS NOT RESPONDED.
I HAVE WRITTEN TO OTHER PEOPLE, UM, EXECUTIVE LEVEL AND THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED ALL DOCUMENT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
MONICA OLA AND THEN CHERYL ORTEGA.
MY, MY NAME IS, UH, I AM MONICA OLA.
I HAVE TWO CHILDREN IN THE DISTRICT.
I AM HERE AGAIN TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR SAFETY FOR A STUDENT, WHICH IS THE POLICE.
YOU JUST WANT TO LIE TO US WITH THE SAFETY PASSAGES.
AND I WANT TO KNOW WHERE ARE THOSE SAFETY PASSAGES COMING FROM? THOSE YOUTH THAT THEY HAVE A BRACELET ON THEIR FOOT.
WHY DO THEY HAVE A BRACELET ON THEIR ANKLE? ARE THEY FROM IMMIGRATION? IS IMMIGRATION WATCHING OVER THE POLICE? WHY DO THEY HAVE A BRACELET ON THEIR ANKLE? I WANT TO KNOW WHY.
AND MANY OF US PARENTS WANT TO KNOW, WHERE ARE YOU BRINGING US THESE CHILDREN THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TAKING CARE OF OUR CHILDREN? I'M SO CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
I'M SO CONCERNED THAT WE DON'T HAVE SCHOOL POLICE.
AND YOU KNOW, BETTER THAN ANYBODY HOW IMPORTANT POLICE IS.
SADLY, YESTERDAY ANOTHER GIRL WAS KILLED.
AND IT'S NOTHING FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE USED TO A STUDENT DYING HERE.
IT DOESN'T MATTER FOR YOU BECAUSE IT'S NOT YOUR CHILDREN, BUT IT IS OUR CHILDREN, OUR CHILDREN.
AND IF WE ARE GIVING THEM TO YOU ALIVE, WE WANT THEM ALIVE.
BECAUSE IF WE'RE LEAVING THEM IN SCHOOL, WHY DO YOU RETURN THEM DEAD? WHY DO YOU RETURN THEM AS CRIMINALS? WE NEED TO TAKE THEM OUT OF THE JAILS.
WE NEED TO TAKE THEM OUT OF A HOSPITAL.
WHY DO WE NEED TO BURY OUR CHILDREN? WHY DO WE NEED TO PICK UP OUR CHILDREN? IF YOU ARE GIVING THEM TO YOU? WELL, WE WANT YOU TO RETURN TO THEM JUST AS WE GAVE THEM TO YOU.
[02:30:01]
THEM AT THE DOORSTEP OF THE SCHOOL.WHY DO WE HAVE TO BE PICKING UP OUR CHILDREN IN THAT WAY? IT IS HORRIBLE BECAUSE THE DEATH OF A STUDENT, THE, UH, PARENT CANNOT RECUPERATE.
EVEN IF IT'S SHE HAS FIVE CHILDREN.
A CHILD WILL ALWAYS BE A CHILD.
IT IS A CHILD THAT IS WORTH SO MUCH.
NOT EVEN ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD CAN WE COMPARE TO THE PAIN THAT THAT MOTHER CAN SUFFER.
YOU HAVE NOT BEEN IN THEIR SHOES.
AND I WISH ALL MY HEART THAT YOU WOULD GO THROUGH WHAT THOSE MOTHERS ARE GOING TO BE BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE PAIN THAT THE MOTHER FEELS WHEN THEY LOSE A CHILD.
AND I WISH WITH ALL MY HEART THAT YOU GO THROUGH WITH ALL WHAT THOSE MOTHERS GO THROUGH.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
CHERYL ORTEGA, I'LL COME GET ALL THOSE PETITIONS AND STUFF.
IF YOU COULD LEAVE THEM IN ONE SPOT.
THE TWO MINUTES IS YOURS, MS. ORTEGA.
I AM THE DIRECTOR OF BILINGUAL EDUCATION FOR UNITED TEACHERS LOS ANGELES, AND I'M HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY TO, UH, THANK, CONGRATULATE AND HONOR LYDIA ACOSTA STEVENS AND THE MED DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR, UH, MARVELOUS WORK IN, IN, UH, CREATING AND FORMULATING THE NEW MASTER PLAN, UH, OF WHICH WE HAVE BEEN, UH, PARTNERS IN, IN, IN HELPING TO DO THAT.
UM, I WANNA I WANNA SAY THAT THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN MED AND UTLA HAS BEEN WONDERFUL OVER THE YEARS.
IT'S COLLABORATIVE, PRODUCTIVE, CREATIVE, AND IT'S ONE OF THE MOST USEFUL THINGS FOR EDUCATORS, PARENTS AND STUDENTS THAT I HAVE EVER OBSERVED.
UH, THE EXPANSION OF THE MASTER PLAN, OH, AND I WANTED TO SAY THAT IT, IT'S A, IT'S A DOCUMENT THAT LEAVES STUDENTS KNOWING THAT WHAT THEY ARE, WHAT THEY SPEAK WHERE THEY'RE FROM, IS AFFIRMED BY ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT HELP WORK WITH THEM.
UM, THE EXPANSION OF THE CATEGORIES OF THE MASTER PLAN ARE EXCELLENT FROM SOLO, SOLO, EXCUSE ME, FROM ONLY SERVING ENGLISH LEARNERS, UH, 12 YEARS AGO TO THE, UH, TO THE, UH, EXPANSION OF CATEGORIES THAT IT SERVES NOW IS WONDERFUL.
UH, WE DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS CLASSROOM EDUCATORS THAT MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN.
THAT THE, THAT TEACHERS THAT ARE IN DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS, THEIR DEDICATION TO THEIR STUDENTS IS, IS AMAZING.
AND WE ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UM, THE EXPANDING RECOGNITION OF OUR HHS AND DIS PROFESSIONALS WHO HAVE LANGUAGE ABILITIES WHO HELP THOSE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES PROGRESS THROUGH, UH, DIFFICULT TIMES.
AND, AND WE JUST WANT TO HONOR THEM.
AND I WILL, I WILL END WITH WHAT, UH, IS, IT'S KIND OF A HUMOROUS STORY, BUT NOT REALLY.
UM, WE ALL KNOW THAT OUR PRESIDENT RECENTLY SIGNED AN EVIC AN EXECUTIVE ORDER, UH, CLAIMING ENGLISH AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE UNITED STATES, UH, POSITION THAT UTLA HAS TAKEN OPPOSITION TO.
AND I WONDER IF ANY OF YOU REMEMBER THAT IN 1986, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DID THE SAME THING AND, UH, THERE WAS A MOVE, THERE WAS A MOVE TO AMPLIFY ALL THE NAMES OF THE, THE, THE CITIES IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, BUT NO ONE COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO DRIVE FROM THE ANGELS TO ST.
WE'LL FIRST GO TO CONCERNED PARENT CONCERNED PARENT, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN CONCERNED PARENT.
BOARD MEMBERS RECOMMENDATION SEVEN OF THE MODICUM CONSENT TO CREATE CLOSURE REPORT.
STATES ESTABLISH FORUM WHERE PARENTS CAN PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND COMPLAINTS ON NON-COMPLIANCE WITHOUT FEAR OF REPRISALS, SUCH AS ANNUAL HEARINGS AND OR TELEPHONE SURVEY BOARD MEMBERS, SEVERAL PARENTS HAVE REPORTED THAT THE L-A-U-S-D HAS RETALIATED AGAINST THEM BY REPORTING THEM TO CPS AFTER THEY MADE COMPLAINTS.
NOT ONLY IS THIS A WASTE OF RESOURCES, IT IS A TACTIC THAT IT APPEARS IS BEING USED SPECIFICALLY WITH FAMILIES OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND HISPANIC PARENTS TO INSTILL FEAR SO THAT PARENTS STAY SILENT.
THIS IS AN ABUSIVE POWER AND THE DISTRICT MUST DO BETTER.
SECOND, AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING, THE MIC WAS STILL ON AT THE END OF THE MEETING AND A STAFF MEMBER STATED THAT STUDENTS WILL BE GIVEN MORE LATITUDE DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.
IT IS EVIDENT THAT PARENTS WILL NOT GET THAT SAME LATITUDE BOARD MEMBERS.
YOUR PUBLIC IS ASKING YOU TO HEAR THEM.
NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK, BUT PER YOUR OWN BOARD RULES AS A BOARD, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO SCHEDULE BOARD MEETINGS FOR THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF HEARING PUBLIC COMMENTS.
WILL, WILL YOU IMPLEMENT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND FOLLOW YOUR OWN RULES? THANK YOU.
[02:35:01]
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.UH, THE NEXT REMOTE CALLER IS ISABELLE, THE LAST ISABELLE, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
ISABELLE, ISABEL, I SEE YOU'RE WITH US.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.
AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
FIRST OF ALL, IT'S A SHAME THAT ALL THE MEMBERS ARE PRESENT.
WE MISS, MISS TANYA AND I, I, HER NAME ESCAPES ME.
BUT YOU SAY THAT THE REPRESENTATIVES IN SACRAMENTO ARE, ARE REPRESENTATIVES IN SACRAMENTO TO LOBBY FOR US, BUT HOW AS A SCHOOL BOARD ARE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PARENTS, BUT MORE SO OF OUR STUDENTS.
UM, EVEN THOUGH I'M IN AGREEMENT, I FEEL LIKE YOU PROVIDE A LOT OF OPINION AND YOU DEFEND MUCH MORE THE TEACHER'S UNION THAN US.
AND THOSE THAT ARE THE IN THE RED T-SHIRTS ARE LOOK LIKE THEY'RE DEFENDING MORE THE, THE TEACHERS THAN THE PARENTS AND STUDENTS.
SO FOR THE LABOR PARTNERS, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ARE FOCUSING SO MUCH ON THAT AND YOU LOSE THE MOTIVATION TO SUPPORT AND PROVIDE PROGRAMS THAT HELP OUR STUDENTS FOR THEM TO REALIZE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.
THE BUDGET SHOULD BE EXCLUSIVELY FOCUSED ON HELPING STUDENTS ACADEMICALLY.
AND ONE WAY TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS IS TO DEFEND THEIR NEEDS IN SACRAMENTO, BECAUSE EVEN WITH THE DISTRICT HAS SAID THERE'S BEEN OTHER BURDENS.
SO I WOULD LIKE THIS TO START IN THE AUGUST TO FOCUS ON THAT AND TO HELP OUR VULNERABLE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS CHRISTIAN FLAGG, DIRECTOR OF YOUTH ORGANIZING AT COMMUNITY COALITION AND OUR ORGANIZATION IS A CORE PARTNER IN THE EQUITY ALLIANCE FOR LA KIDS.
AND I'M CALLING TODAY, UH, TO URGE THE BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT TO STAY COMMITTED TO EQUITY IN L-A-U-S-D BY PROTECTING C BEYOND, UH, FISCAL YEAR 25, 26 AND EXPANDING DSAP.
UM, OUR ORGANIZATION HAS AN HONOR AND PRIVILEGE OF SERVING OVER A HUNDRED BLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS AND FAMILIES ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL LA UH, THE VERY SAME COMMUNITY THAT I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN.
AND IN THIS WORK, I CAN SAY FIRSTHAND THAT, UM, C AND BSAP ARE EXPANDING ACCESS TO INCREDIBLE RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES AT LEVELS THAT NEVER EXISTED AND ARE HISTORICALLY NEGLECTED AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
STUDENTS FROM THE HOOD ARE GETTING OPPORTUNITIES TO GO ACROSS THE COUNTRY VISITING HBCUS.
THEY'RE BEGINNING TO EXPERIENCE ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY CENTERING AND UPLIFTING THEIR CULTURE.
THEY'RE INTERACTING WITH TEAMS AND STAFF THAT ARE, UH, EXPLICITLY WORKING TO SERVE THEIR UNIQUE NEEDS.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE ALSO HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE STILL EXPERIENCING THINGS LIKE LONG-TERM SUBSTITUTES IN THEIR CORE A THROUGH G CLASSES.
THEY'RE ATTENDING SCHOOLS THAT HAVE, HAVE HAD TWO AND THREE DIFFERENT PRINCIPALS ACROSS A FOUR YEAR PERIOD IN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL JOURNEY, RIGHT? THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING, THEY'RE AT SCHOOLS WITH AMAZING STAFF THAT ARE TRYING TO DO MORE, TRYING TO BE INNOVATIVE, BUT ARE HINDERED BY OVERLY RIGID, UH, SPENDING POLICIES AND RACIAL BIAS THAT'S HELD BY DISTRICT, SOME DISTRICT PERSONNEL.
SO WHILE WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT L-A-U-S-D IS APPROACHING A ROUGH FINANCIAL PERIOD IN THE COMING YEARS, I MUST REMIND YOU THAT THE STUDENT AT HIGH AND HIGHEST NEEDS SCHOOLS, BLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS FROM SOUTH CENTRAL LA, FROM WATTS, FROM EAST LA HAVE BEEN UNDERSERVED FOR DECADES.
CINI AND BSAP HAVE ONLY JUST BEGUN TO SHIFT CONDITIONS AND FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, AND WE MUST REMAIN COMMITTED TO THEM THROUGH THE TOUGHEST TIMES TO ACTUALLY TRULY CREATE LASTING TRANSFORMATION.
OKAY, THE NEXT CALLER IS JASON MELENDEZ, BUT I DO NOT SEE YOU ONLINE.
ARE YOU IN THE ROOM? MR. MELENDEZ NOT HERE.
AND THEN THE LAST REMOTE CALLER IS KAYLA.
KATHY, I DO NOT SEE YOU SIGNED
[02:40:01]
IN ONLINE AND THERE IS NO KAYLA IN THE ROOM.SO THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
THANK YOU MR. MCLEAN FOR FACILITATING PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, SO THIS CONCLUDES THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING FOR 24 25 SCHOOL YEAR.
JUST WANNA APPRECIATE ALL THE PRESENTERS AND ALL THE SPEAKERS, UM, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS ACADEMIC, SINCE THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE IN JANUARY.
WE APPRECIATE ALL THE CONTINUED, UH, SUPPORT AND ENGAGEMENT AND EXPERTISE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND PLEASE STAY, STAY TUNED FOR THE COMING WEEKS FOR NEXT YEAR'S COMMITTEE SCHEDULE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS CRITICAL WORK FOR THE 25 26 ACADEMIC YEAR.
AND UNTIL THEN, HAVE A WONDERFUL SUMMER AND TAKE GOOD CARE.